"Echoing moonlight, a forgotten lullaby.
I stare up at the stars,
who whisper their lingering memories.
They fall asleep to the song of clouds and faint light.
Gently, the flowers are painted with sunshine.
Vibrant blue skies mirror the sea,
as the waves of cloud and ocean mimic their reflection.
Dancing life enjoys the song of day,
knowing the moon's shadow is soon to come.
The stars begin to awake,
as I fall asleep with the fading sun."

Baekhyun spoke slowly and softly, his voice causing a soothing affect to everyone that was listening to him. Once he was finished reading the poem, he looked up from his book to see the children's reaction. They were all staring at him with awe on their faces, although it wasn't the poem that affected them so much. It was Baekhyun's presence alone that made them so excited. They were far too young to understand the complexity of Baekhyun's words, but their minds were fully capable of grasping that Baekhyun was a prince. Not only this, but they couldn't stop staring at the glowing symbol on Baekhyun's left hand.

Baekhyun smiled at their delighted expressions, knowing the reason for their fascination. He was used to children acting this way around him, and always getting the same questions about the pretty star on his hand.

"Can anyone tell me what this poem is about?" Baekhyun asked in a gentle voice, glancing at each of the children.

It might have been over the children's heads, but it was an important poem, and one that was taught often in school. It was deeply connected with their history, containing a variety of hidden meanings and ways to interpret it.

"Stars!" One of them immediately shouted, "Like the one on your hand!"

Baekhyun laughed lightly, unsurprised by the child's single minded view, "That's right. It's about the cycle of day and night, which includes stars too."

"Can I see it?" A young girl asked, seeming anxious to get closer to Baekhyun, crawling a little across the carpet as she stared at his hand.

Baekhyun gently set down his book, getting off his stool so he could sit down on the floor next to the children. The sound of cameras snapping rapidly filled the room, all of the reporters desperate to capture the tender moment. They watched as Baekhyun held out his hand, allowing the children to get a good look at it.

The star had always been a treasured symbol, and the marking on Baekhyun's hand was considered a blessing. It was proof that he was a reincarnation of an Astral, an ancient and powerful race that existed many centuries ago. It only appeared on members of royalty, so it wasn't a surprise the children had never seen it before.

They instantly huddled around Baekhyun, pushing against each other to get a better view. The sound of awe escaped their lips, mesmerized by the faint luminescence of the star on Baekhyun's skin. The reporters couldn't help laughing as they continued taking photos, amused by their adorable excitement.

"Did you want to learn something fun about stars?" Baekhyun asked, realizing this was the only topic the children cared about right then.

"Yeah!" They all shouted enthusiastically.

Baekhyun smiled again, lowering his hand and resting it against his thigh. He recalled the words he had been taught repeatedly since he was a child, a fact that Baekhyun had always found very interesting.

"Stars are really far away from us, sometimes even millions of light years away. And that means their light takes a really long time to reach us." Baekhyun tried to explain simply, although he knew the children still probably didn't really understand, "...It can take so long, that when it's light finally gets here, the star itself could already be gone. But we still see it's light, even though the star disappeared a long time ago."

The children's confused expressions were answer enough to Baekhyun's statement, and the reporters burst out into gentle laughter again.

"So whenever we look up at the stars, we're actually looking into the past." Baekhyun continued, regardless of their lack of comprehension, "Isn't that cool?"

They all slowly nodded, pretending as if they understood what Baekhyun said. They certainly didn't realize there was even a tidbit about this fact in the poem Baekhyun had just read to them, or that it had to do with the symbol on Baekhyun's hand as well.

The children continued to ask a few more questions pertaining to Baekhyun's hand, the sound of cameras never ceasing in the background. After a little while, Baekhyun's royal assistant spoke to the teacher, informing her that Baekhyun had another engagement to attend. Understanding that Baekhyun needed to leave, she approached the group of children.

"All right everyone, it's time to say goodbye to Prince Baekhyun now." Their teacher spoke cautiously, waving her hand in a farewell gesture as she spoke.

The children all whined, unwilling to say goodbye just yet. In just a short amount of time, they had become very fond of Baekhyun, not only for his pretty star. Baekhyun always had a good appeal with children, his warm personality and gentle appearance making him easy to connect with.

"Here, let's take a picture together first." Baekhyun smiled, gesturing the children to come closer.

The children quickly obliged, smiling as well as they got closer to Baekhyun. Looking over at the cameras, Baekhyun suggested that they should all make a heart with their fingers. Copying Baekhyun, they held out their hands, their fingers making miniature hearts.

"Say cheeeeeeese." Baekhyun spoke with an exaggerated smile, making the children all giggle.

The cameras started snapping rapidly again as the children continued smiling, still holding out their hearts. After a few more poses, Baekhyun spoke to them quietly to say goodbye. They watched with pouting faces as Baekhyun stood up off the floor, carefully adjusting his clothes now that he was standing again.

The teacher sat down with the children as Baekhyun started to leave, watching as Baekhyun gave them all a happy wave. Walking through the mass of cameras, Baekhyun left the classroom along with his assistant and a few guards. The sound of snapping cameras continued to follow him, more reporters waiting for him outside. It wasn't until Baekhyun climbed into his limo that the sound finally stopped.

After getting situated in the car, Baekhyun took a deep breath, relaxing in his seat. Looking outside, he could see the children in the window of their classroom, all of them waving in excitement to Baekhyun. Baekhyun waved back, smiling again as the limo started to drive off. The vision of the school slowly disappeared, a wall of trees soon passing the window as Baekhyun continued looking outside.

"The King and Queen would like to have a meeting with you." His assistant spoke as he typed something quickly on his phone.

Baekhyun stared at his assistant curiously for a moment, he didn't remember a meeting with his parents being on his schedule for that day.

"Right now?"

"Yes, apparently it's urgent." The assistant answered as he glanced up from his phone, "It's concerning the treaty with the Obsidian Kingdom."

Baekhyun's eyebrows raised in curiosity, "Does it seem like good news?"

"Yes, I believe so."

A small smile appeared on Baekhyun's lips, relieved that everything was still going smoothly. After a long history of tension and war between the Obsidian and Cerulean thrones, their saga of conflict was finally coming to an end. For the last few years the two nations had been making peaceful negotiations with each other, until at last a treaty was proposed.

It was still in the process of being made, but Baekhyun looked forward to the day it was finally signed. If everything continued to go according to plan, the ceremony would be taking place in only a few weeks.

Among the many benefits of the treaty, the boundary between their nations would be extinguished, and the citizens from either kingdom would be allowed to travel freely between the two lands. Until that day, the only glimpse anyone had of the other kingdom was through photographs and videos found online. There was no block on these images, but the curiosity they inspired was insatiable.

The members of both royal families never had the chance of meeting each other before, but that would soon change at the treaty ceremony.

Watching his assistant type furiously on his phone for a while, Baekhyun decided to do the same, passing the long drive home checking on the current news. He wondered if there would be any kind of hint about his parent's abrupt meeting.

After searching for a short while though, he realized there wasn't any new information pertaining to the treaty. Instead, Baekhyun found a large number of similar hashtags trending, all of them related to Prince Oh Sehun.

Baekhyun stared at the hashtag #OurStunningPrinceSehun for a small moment, wondering what Sehun had done this time, his name unsurprisingly appearing frequently in the top trending category. Due to his royal status and extremely handsome appearance, Sehun was considered one of the most desirable bachelors in the world, aside from Baekhyun himself. Any little thing Sehun did was treated with utmost importance by his devoted followers, the opportunity to swoon over him for the minutest of events was something they never missed.

Clicking on the tag, it didn't take long to discover that Sehun had simply gone out to a restaurant with his friends. Even so, Sehun was looking particularly handsome, dressed in his sharp attire like usual, his hair down in a casual style that gave him a soft appearance. He was smiling warmly, laughing about something one of his friends had said.

Holding his finger down on the image, Baekhyun quickly saved the photo.

Maybe it was because Sehun was another bearer of the Astral marking like himself that Baekhyun first became so fascinated with him, but just like the rest of the world, Baekhyun fell victim to Sehun's handsome appearance. It happened slowly over time, his fascination eventually turning into infatuation. For a number of years now Baekhyun had been following the younger prince's life, and already had a few (or more than a few) photos of Sehun saved on his phone.

Aside from peace between their two kingdoms, Sehun was the main reason Baekhyun was looking forward to the treaty. During the ceremony he would finally have the chance to meet him. He couldn't wait to see him in person, each day until that moment seeming painstakingly slow.

Baekhyun walked down the hall of the castle to reach the meeting area, passing a few guards before going through the door. Inside the elegantly decorated room was a long table, able to seat around fifty people. On the wall was a large painting, a portrait of a King and Queen from a distant time in the past. Banners hung on the walls as well, embroidered with the crest of the Cerulean Kingdom, a symbol of the sun.

Baekhyun took a seat at his appointed spot, next to his older sister. Ever since he was young, he always sat in this same seat during these important meetings. Getting situated in his chair, Baekhyun smiled over at his sister, greeting her quietly before the meeting began.

"Do you know what this is about?" His sister Yoomi asked, seeming just as clueless as Baekhyun was.

"No, but I heard it was probably good news." Baekhyun assured her, noticing she looked a little tense.

"Oh good." She sighed, placing her hand on her cheek in relief, "I was getting worried."

Just then the King and Queen entered the room, a few guards shutting the door behind them to leave the family in privacy. They strolled towards the table slowly, their arms remaining interlocked until they took a seat at the head of the table. Their mother gave them both a smile, reaching out to hold Baekhyun's hand across the table, squeezing it gently.

"Sorry to drag you both here all of a sudden." She spoke softly, looking back and forth between them both, "But we have an important matter to discuss with you."

"Is everything all right?" Yoomi questioned, still wanting to make sure there was nothing to be concerned about.

"Yes, everything is still going very well. You don't need to worry." The King replied to her, "The Obsidian Kingdom is just as enthusiastic as we are about our peaceful future."

"Then what is this about?" Baekhyun asked curiously, watching as his mother let go of his hand.

"Well...As we were discussing the terms of the treaty, an idea came to us that would help symbolize the unity between our nations." The Queen spoke slowly as she stared into her children's eyes, "An act that would solidify our peaceful intentions in the minds of our people, something they could see with their own eyes and feel assured that there will be no more conflict between our kingdoms."

"What kind of act?" Baekhyun replied, starting to get concerned with his mother's roundabout way of answering. She usually did this when she had something to share that she knew they might not like, spending extra time to convince them it was a good thing before they were aware of what it was.

The Queen went silent for a short while, reaching for her husbands hand underneath the table to hold onto it gently. In her mind, it was a great idea, and she saw little trouble with it. Maybe if she had been more involved in her children's upbringing she would feel more considerate about the situation, but that was not the case.

"Matrimony." The Queen smiled brightly, "Between our two families."

Baekhyun stared back at her blankly, suddenly feeling his heart sink. There was very few options for a marriage, since the Obsidian family only had sons. Baekhyun didn't even want to imagine the possibilities, knowing his sister was going to marry one of the princes of the Obsidian Throne.

"An arranged marriage?" Yoomi raised her eyebrows in discomfort, "Isn't that a bit old fashioned?"

"Yes, a little, but this is a special exception." The King interrupted, "A union between the two Astrals of our kingdoms will have a deep impact on our people, showing that we can abandon the dark history between our opposing bloodlines."

"The two...Astrals." Baekhyun repeated slowly, the meaning behind those words too wonderful for him to immediately grasp. It seemed like a crazy dream, something only his mind would create.

"That's right, you and Prince Sehun." The Queen smiled again as she stared at Baekhyun, "It might be a little odd for you since both of you are men, but that's just how fate turned out. Arranged marriages like this are never meant to be romantic anyway, everyone knows it's a political arrangement."

Baekhyun remained silent for a long moment, still having a difficult time believing that this was actually happening. He wasn't sure what to say, not wanting to seem too excited about it all, even though he was internally screaming in joy.

"Has the Obsidian Kingdom agreed to this already?" Yoomi asked, the tone in her voice indicating how strange she found this to be.

"They have, but they are waiting for Baekhyun's reply before we make any official plans. After all, Baekhyun is an Astral." The King responded before glancing over at Baekhyun, "We can't force you to do this. But I hope you'll consider the benefits of this arrangement."

Despite his parents being the King and Queen, they lacked authority over the important decisions in Baekhyun's life. Their high status did not overthrow Baekhyun's rank as an Astral, something that was held in the upmost regard. Although Baekhyun's mother was an Astral as well, she still could not dictate Baekhyun's life. All Astrals were treated equally, even amongst themselves. Baekhyun's parents didn't even view him as their son, but rather that they had been blessed with giving life to a beloved Astral.

"What do you say Baekhyun?" The Queen asked, reaching for Baekhyun's hand again, "You understand how meaningful it will be, don't you?"

Baekhyun looked back and forth between his parent's pleading expressions, only hesitating a brief moment more before answering, "I will be happy to."

It was raining outside when Sehun eventually returned home, his outing with his friends cut short by the unfortunate weather. As he pulled up in front of the castle, he spotted a few guards waiting for him, holding onto a pair of umbrellas to make sure he wouldn't get wet. Sehun stopped his car near them, leaving the keys in the ignition for the valet.

Ever since he obtained a license, he preferred driving in his own car instead of being shuffled around in a limo. He found it to be relaxing, and sometimes would go on long drives for no other purpose than going for a ride. He had a special fondness for classic cars, and the majority of his vehicles were vintage models, the one he was driving right then being no exception.

Stepping out of the car, the guards held the umbrellas over his head, and Sehun watched as the valet quickly jumped in the car to park it in a more secure location. Walking towards the castle, the guards stayed by his side, keeping him dry until he was under the protection of the covered entranceway. As Sehun was leaving, the guards made a few announcements on their radios, letting the personnel inside know that Sehun was home.

The message must have traveled quickly, because once he was inside, he noticed his assistant hurrying towards him. It seemed like he had something important to tell him.

"Is something wrong?" Sehun asked, stopping as his assistant came to stand in front of him.

"No, everything is fine." He answered a little winded, "But the King and Queen have been waiting for you. They're having a meeting right now with Prince Chanyeol."

Before Sehun could ask about it further, the assistant was already turning around, inviting Sehun to follow him. Sehun didn't bother inquiring more as they walked towards the meeting room together, knowing that he would find out the reason for the gathering soon enough.

Leaving his assistant behind, Sehun entered the room, discovering his parents and his brother already in the midst of a conversation. Similar to Baekhyun's castle, the meeting room was fitted with a large table, but the shape of it was round. The entire room was circular, with the design of the moon painted on the ceiling, the crest of the Obsidian Kingdom.

"Sehun, there you are." The Queen smiled, "Come sit down, we have some interesting news."

Sehun quickly took a seat, staring at his parents curiously, "What is it?"

"We've just received an offer from the Cerulean Kingdom, pertaining to our treaty."

"An offer?" Sehun asked, looking over at Chanyeol to see if he knew any more about this. But Chanyeol only shrugged his shoulders, indicating that he didn't know what it was either.

"Yes, they believe it will help solidify the unity of our two nations." The Queen answered in excitement, obviously anxious to tell them both what was going on, "They've offered Prince Baekhyun's hand in marriage!"

There was an awkward moment of silence as they both took in the information. They felt like they might have heard her wrong.

"Baekhyun?" Chanyeol repeated in confusion, "...But he's a guy. They have a princess right?"

"Yes, but that's not the point. This is an arrangement between Astrals, a gesture that will surely resonate with the people."

"Astrals?" Chanyeol laughed as he looked over at his younger brother, "So you mean Sehun?"

Sehun sat silently still, his face slowly growing into a troubled expression. But it wasn't for the reason his family might think. Sehun was very familiar with who Baekhyun was, and had always viewed him as someone of high esteem, even beyond his royal status. Baekhyun was well known for his kindness, beauty, cheerful personality, and extreme talent. These were all qualities that Sehun admired, and as far as he was concerned, Baekhyun was well out of his league. Not to mention that Baekhyun was older than him, even if it was only a small gap, it still made Sehun feel a little intimidated.

"But..." Sehun stammered, feeling shy about this already, "Is he okay with it?"

"Yes, they requested his approval first." The Queen smiled, "We're going to need yours as well."

Chanyeol covered his face as he started chuckling again, trying not to laugh to loudly at the table. Even though he had been raised as a prince, Chanyeol was never able to let go of his exaggerated reactions. Sehun glared over at him, watching as Chanyeol struggled to stay quiet.

"I can't imagine a better way to illustrate the union between our kingdoms." the Queen continued, ignoring Chanyeol's amusement, "Like joining our past and future together."

Sehun recognized the tone in his mother's voice, if he didn't answer her soon, she would go off on a long rant. When she felt passionate about something, she had the tendency to spill her heart out about it.

"I'll do it." Sehun interrupted before she could say more.

"Wonderful!" She exclaimed with an excited clap of her hands, "I'll inform the Cerulean Kingdom at once!"

This caused Chanyeol to laugh louder, losing his already weak hold on his composure. Sehun didn't bother holding back anymore, and hit his brother's arm to try and shut him up. But it didn't help, Chanyeol was far too amused. He was the only one in their family who knew about Sehun's orientation. He couldn't wait to see how awkward things would become.

Baekhyun adjusted the coat of his blue uniform, fiddling with the bits of chain hanging from his shoulder. He knew they had a habit of getting tangled, but right then, Baekhyun was fixing them as an attempt to settle his nerves more than anything else.

The day had finally come. The Cerulean and Obsidian thrones were gathering together to sign the treaty. But more than that, Baekhyun was feeling extremely anxious to meet Sehun, who was now officially his fiancé.

He still couldn't believe it was real. After all the years he had admired and followed the younger prince, they were actually going to get married. Sehun was going to be his husband. Even just the thought of it made Baekhyun's heart stop. He just hoped he wouldn't be too obvious with his feelings once they finally met face to face.

Moving onto the large bow wrapped around his neck, Baekhyun looked over at the mirror to make sure it was tied neatly. Tugging on it lightly, he glanced up to look at his face. Staring closely at his own reflection in the glass, he watched as the image flickered for a brief moment, an alternate appearance of his face flashing in the glass.

Baekhyun was anticipating it, accustomed to this face appearing whenever he looked into a mirror. His hair became pale like starlight, and his eyes brewed with a dangerous expression. Once it faded, Baekhyun's raven hair returned, along with the gentle feeling of his eyes.

Looking away from the mirror, Baekhyun glanced down at his left hand, staring at the luminescent star on his skin. Although it was considered a blessing, the fear once associated with this symbol was hardly ever mentioned. Or how terrifying the power of the Astrals actually was.

Their blood still flowed within members of royalty across the world, maintaining their position of power for countless generations. For as long as history had been recorded, Astrals had always been seated on the throne.

Ordinary humans couldn't compete with their strength, and were forced to surrender to their rule. Not all of them were cruel, but many Astrals abused their power, and subjected the people to their terrifying reign.

But with each passing generation, their power began to dwindle. As they continued to mingle with ordinary humans, the strength of their blood slowly disintegrated, until they lost their powers altogether. The only evidence of their lineage was the marking that would sometimes appear on members of royalty.

Even in the days when Astrals still had their power, these same markings would appear on their hand. Their strength resided not only in their blood, but in their spirit as well. Although their blood had lost it's potency, the longevity of their spirit could never diminish. They would continue to reincarnate, until at last they chose to stop the cycle themselves.

Baekhyun was a reflection of his former self, his spirit and appearance the same to that of the past. Even so, he had no memories of his previous life. The only glimpse he had of his preceding existence was the faint whispers he sometimes heard in his head. The star on his hand allowed him to hear it, his long lost memories locked within it's marking.

But the words he heard were often incomprehensible, the message failing to make any sense to him. It was as if Baekhyun had been spilt into two separate consciousnesses, his previous self similar to another person living inside him.

Staring at the star, Baekhyun would often wonder what his other life was like. He couldn't imagine himself being a cruel person, but the cold expression he saw in his reflection concerned him. Still, Baekhyun realized it didn't really matter what he used to be like. It was all in the past now. What mattered more was how he acted in the present.

Tugging at his clothes one last time, Baekhyun nodded to himself in the mirror, finally feeling ready to attend the ceremony, and to meet Prince Sehun.

The two families decided to meet at a location that was close to the border of their lands, a small mansion that had been refurbished to accommodate it's royal guests. A large mass of reporters and cameras were waiting for the families to arrive, watching through their lenses as two limos approached the building from either side.

Baekhyun could feel his heart pounding as their limo drove closer and closer to the mansion, becoming increasingly nervous again now that the moment of meeting Sehun was finally upon him. He took a few deep breaths to try and calm himself, but this proved to be practically useless as Baekhyun looked out the window, spotting Sehun's limo.

Pulling up to the front of the mansion, the sound of flashing cameras could be heard even inside their vehicle. Baekhyun watched as a few guards approached their limo, opening the doors and standing aside to allow everyone to exit. The King and Queen stepped out first, followed by Baekhyun's sister. Baekhyun hesitated a moment, staring out at the long red carpet and the wall of reporters waiting for him on either side. Taking another deep breath, Baekhyun stepped out as well, joining his family as they walked slowly down the red carpet towards the mansion.

Baekhyun waved to the reporters with a warm smile, the familiarity of being photographed like this actually bringing him a little comfort. The entire walk Baekhyun continued to smile at them, until he was standing at the front of the mansion. That's when he spotted Sehun, walking towards him with the rest of his family.

Gulping nervously, the smile he was wearing suddenly disappeared. It felt surreal, watching Sehun move towards him in real time. He was actually there, right in front of him, existing in the same moment as Baekhyun. Keeping his sight on Sehun as he continued to move closer, Baekhyun witnessed Sehun's eyes shift towards him, staring right at him. Baekhyun felt his entire body tighten up, his breath and heartbeat slowing down to almost a stop.

Joining Baekhyun's family at the front of the mansion, the King and Queen of both kingdoms greeted each other first, shaking each other's hands. But Baekhyun didn't even watch the moment, his eyes still fixed on Sehun.

Sehun wasn't feeling too differently from Baekhyun, also incredibly nervous to meet his fiancé for the first time. He had tried his best to prepare himself for this moment, and even came up with a few things to say, but now that they were standing face to face, all his thoughts were lost. Baekhyun was even more beautiful in person, if that was even possible.

It took a subtle nudge from Chanyeol for Sehun to finally gain the courage to approach Baekhyun, extending his hand towards him. Baekhyun fidgeted nervously, suddenly snapping his hand up to accept Sehun's handshake. Grasping onto each other's hands lightly, they kept their eyes locked, both of them getting lost in the moment.

Just how far will I fall?

Baekhyun suddenly heard a faint voice, barely audible even in his own thoughts. The sound of it was familiar to him, something he had become accustomed to since his childhood. It was still strange to hear though, the sound of his own voice speaking to him. Although it was nothing more than a whisper, it sounded more urgent than it had in the past. As if something had stirred it awake.

Coughing into his hand, Chanyeol tried his best to whisper a message to Sehun, trying to remind him of the words he had prepared for this occasion. But Chanyeol's attempt went unnoticed, and Sehun let go of Baekhyun's hand without saying one word to him. As he stepped backwards towards his brother again, Chanyeol quietly scolded Sehun for forgetting to speak.

Reflecting on the quiet voice in his head, Baekhyun hardly even noticed as their families continued to greet each other, until Chanyeol went to shake his hand as well. Baekhyun moved in the same stiff manner, feeling even more embarrassed once he noticed the amused expression on Chanyeol's face. He wondered if he was laughing at his nervous behavior.

After everyone was done greeting each other, both Kings and Queens made an announcement to the reporters, expressing their happiness for the occasion and that the signing of the treaty would soon be taking place after they got comfortable inside.

With these words, both families retreated inside the mansion, escaping from the reporters for a brief while before they were allowed to follow. Time passed quickly, everyone inside in a rush to prepare for the historical moment. Baekhyun hardly even had time to admire Sehun before he was seated at a table together with everyone.

Once the reporters were allowed inside, it didn't take long until the signing of the treaty finally began. The room was flooded with the flash of cameras as the reporters did their best to record the moment, and once both families had finished signing the document, a cheer erupted from the crowd.

Standing again, the Kings from both kingdoms held the paper together for more photographs, posing with the rest of their families. After taking a multitude of pictures, a shout from the audience requested a photo op of the recently betrothed couple.

Since it was in fact part of the treaty, neither family had any obligation to the request, and urged Baekhyun and Sehun forward to take a few photos together. Baekhyun smiled shyly at Sehun before stepping closer to him, standing by his side as he turned to face the cameras.

Sehun was wearing his signature poker face, not because he didn't want to smile, but because he was to nervous to make any other kind of expression. He contemplated wrapping his arm around Baekhyun's waist for the pictures, but considering he was the younger one of them both, he wasn't sure if it would seem disrespectful.

For the majority of photoshoot they ended up standing awkwardly by each other's side, unsure if they should make any other kind of pose. It wasn't until another shout from the audience suggested they should hold onto each other that they finally moved. Looking over at each other bashfully, they extended their arms, reaching behind each other's backs.

It was in that moment that Baekhyun realized he was going to see photos of him and Sehun together posted everyone online. It made him smile just imagining it, thinking these would be the first of many photographs of them taken together.

Once their photoshoot was over, the reporters were asked to leave for the evening, so that the celebration between the families could begin. As everything was being prepared, more guests began to arrive, extended members of the royal families. They slowly filled the mansion, until the sound of loud chatter filled the large building, accompanied by the live performance of classical instruments.

Food and drink started to appear as well, butlers soon making their way around the room to serve everyone. As Sehun grabbed a glass of wine from one of the servers, he looked around the room for Baekhyun, wanting to finally have a word with him. Spotting him grabbing a drink as well, Sehun quickly made his way over to him, hoping to catch Baekhyun while he was still alone.

"Hi." Sehun spoke nervously, a sweet smile appearing on his face as he stepped closer to Baekhyun.

"Hi." Baekhyun repeated, giving Sehun an equally gentle smile. Pausing for a brief moment, he collected his nerves before he continued to speak, "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Likewise." Sehun answered, bashfully glancing down at his glass.

There was a break of silence between them, neither one of them sure what to say next. They both fiddled with their glasses in their hands, until Sehun eventually let out a nervous laugh.

"Sorry...I've been so awkward this whole time."

Baekhyun looked up from his glass, laughing lightly as well, "Me too. It's just an awkward situation."

"Yeah." Sehun nodded slowly, "...It's strange to think we're going to be married soon."

Baekhyun felt his heart tighten from those words, staring into Sehun's eyes certainly not helping his emotions either. He tried to hide his blushing cheeks with a nervous smile, hoping Sehun hadn't detected how enamored he was with him.

"Yeah it is. We've only just met."

Sehun licked his lips nervously, trying to remember the words he had prepared to tell Baekhyun during this celebration. Thinking on it for a little while, and arranging it the way he wanted in his head, he finally gained the confidence to speak again.

"...I wanted to tell you...that even though we were arranged to be together...and it's not necessarily suppose to be a romantic relationship or anything...I still hope we can become good friends."

"Of course." Baekhyun replied with an enthusiastic inflection of his voice, "I'd like that too."

A warm smiled appeared on Sehun's face, relieved that Baekhyun felt the same way. He suddenly raised his glass, inviting Baekhyun to do the same.

"To our new friendship, and the peace of our kingdoms."

Baekhyun laughed a little, copying Sehun and raising his glass, clanking them together, "To our new life together, and the bright future of our kingdoms."

Bringing their glasses close to their mouths again, they both took a sip of their wine, smiling at each other as they swallowed their drink. Baekhyun admired Sehun's handsome expression for a short moment before he spoke again, suddenly remembering something he wanted to say.

"There's something I wanted to tell you too."

"Oh yeah?"

Baekhyun nodded, staring down at his glass again, rubbing his finger along the lip of the glass, "...I'm not sure if you've thought about it at all, but since we're getting married, we're going to be living together...but that means one of us will have to move."

Sehun's brow raised slightly, only just now becoming aware of that fact, "You're right, I hadn't thought about that..."

"Don't worry, I've already decided to move to your kingdom."

"No no." Sehun answered quickly as he shook his head, "I should be the one to move. I'm younger than you."

Baekhyun tilted his head curiously, a little surprised to hear Sehun say that. Age never usually mattered between Astrals, because they were known to have multiple lives. But after thinking over it for a moment, Baekhyun understood that Sehun probably viewed it the same way he did. Since he had no memory of his previous life, the reality of the present was all that really mattered to him.

"Well..." Baekhyun blushed, glancing up at Sehun again, "...I was thinking between the two of us...that I was like the wife. So it made more sense this way."

"Oh." Sehun answered after a short pause, surprised that Baekhyun would so easily label himself that way, "...Well if that's what you want, then it's fine with me."

"Okay, good." Baekhyun smiled, "It's settled then."

A sudden announcement from the other side of the room gained their attention, and they looked over to see Sehun's father standing near the musicians. He began to make a small speech, once again conveying his joy for the occasion and hopes for the future. He mentioned Sehun and Baekhyun as well, humorously asking everyone to give their congratulations to the newly engaged couple.

And for the rest of the evening, that was exactly what happened. Sehun and Baekhyun hardly had another moment to speak to each other, continuously trapped in long conversations with their extended family members.

By the time they were finally left alone again, the guests were already beginning to leave. They knew it was time to say goodbye to each other as well, although they were both reluctant to do so. Hesitating for a little while, they stayed by each other's side as they watched everyone filter out of the building.

"...It's too bad we didn't have more time to talk." Sehun eventually spoke, facing Baekhyun again.

Baekhyun sighed, looking over at Sehun as well, "Yeah, I didn't think we'd get swarmed by all our relatives tonight."

Sehun laughed, nodding his head in agreement before he also let out a sigh, "That was exhausting."

Baekhyun made a small mumble, expressing that he felt the same way. He could already tell that he was going to sleep well that night. Sehun smiled as he stared down at Baekhyun, noticing that he really was exhausted. Wanting to let him get home and rest, Sehun decided it was time to say goodbye. He stepped closer to Baekhyun, carefully wrapping his arms around him in a loose hug.

"It was nice meeting you Baekhyun. I look forward to becoming good friends."

Baekhyun suddenly went stiff, his heart pounding rapidly as he soaked in the feeling of Sehun's arms wrapped around him, and their bodies pressed lightly together. Breathing nervously, Baekhyun wrapped his arms around Sehun as well, returning the small hug.

"Me too. It was fun talking to you tonight."

Sehun smiled as he released his embrace, taking a step away to look at Baekhyun's face again, "Hopefully next time we'll be less awkward."

Baekhyun laughed, nodding his head in agreement, "Let's hope."

"I'll see you soon." Sehun laughed lightly as well, stepping further away from Baekhyun as he began to leave, "Sleep well tonight."

"You too." Baekhyun smiled, sending Sehun a small wave as he watched him walk away and disappear into the crowd.

Hello!! I finally finished the first chapter of this story! I'm sorry I've been taking so long lately, I used to be so fast at giving updates...I feel like my brain has just slowed down or something >.< It's so frustrating. I promise I've been writing...but I'm just slower lol. Hopefully my brain will wake up. I did finish writing my fic for the Sebaek fic fest though, so that's something. Unfortunately I can't share it yet though >.< I'm sorry! I wish I could post it right now! (And yes, I'm still writing the bonus for Nine Lives...please excuse my snail's pace at getting things done.)

Back to this story though, I'm honestly so nervous to share it with you. I have no idea how long it will be and I don't have a timeline mapped out or anything, but I came up with this concept and I really love it so I want to write it...Let's just hope I can keep it interesting. I feel like this first chapter is kinda heavy with explanations, I'm sorry if it was boring >.< I got a lot of inspiration from Baekhyun's Psycho (Did you guys notice I used the lyrics?), and the 2014 MV of Sehun (Shinhwa's Yo!), along with some other stuff lol.

As for that poem in the beginning of this chapter, it's a poem I wrote a long time ago to try and help me fall asleep ha ha (In 2012 actually, right before Exo's debut!) Just in case anyone was curious~

Anyway, please let me know if you enjoyed this! Sorry for blabbing on forever but it's been so long since I talked to you guys ha ha.