Radiant Dawn
Radiant Dawn
Donghae/Sungmin | R | Troy!AU
1935 Words
Warnings: Incest, Character Death
A/N: Loosely based on the movie/epic Troy. In case it's confusing, Sungmin is casted as Hector, the older prince, Donghae is Paris, the younger one. Heechul is King Agamemnon, Siwon is Achilles, and Sunny is Sungmin's wife. In case you're curious, I originally planned Jessica to be Helen, but she did not fit the scope of the story, hence her parts were eliminated entirely. Comments are much appreciated.
The sun and the moon are interchangeable, shedding light upon both secrecy and privacy
“W-We can’t, Hae, no,” Sungmin pulled away, breaking the kiss, and walked over to the open balcony.
“Min, it doesn’t matter, I don’t care anymore,” Donghae slinked behind him, his arms wrapping familiarly around his waist.
“You’re my brother, we must stop this, last time was an honest mistake, we were drunk, and...”
Donghae walked around him, shuffling off his sandals and standing on top of Sungmin’s feet, tipping up and kissing him softly on the lips.
“That wasn’t a mistake,” Donghae said softly and pressed his cheek against his chest, reaching back to pull the silk curtains around them, letting them go only after he had tied a knot behind Sungmin, “It will never be a mistake, I won’t let it be a mistake...”
“Hae, we mustn’t, it is forbidden, the love between two males, and we’re brothers...”
Donghae ran his hands from Sungmin’s shoulders to his neck, grazing his tanned skin as he left his arms there. Sungmin instinctively grabbed onto his waist to stop him from falling, his eyes giving away his shyness at their position.
“Half brothers,” Donghae corrected him as he hoisted himself closer against Sungmin, “Sungmin-ah...”
~/
Sungmin knocked twice, then once, and twice again, a unique code for the two to communicate. The door unlocked itself and Donghae appeared behind the wooden barrier, the moonlight pouring into the room from the window.
Sungmin smiled softly and stepped inside, closing and locking the door behind him.
“I knew you would come,” Donghae lingered his hand against Sungmin’s own, fingers playfully dancing together in the night until their fingers intertwined. “I knew you want me...”
Sungmin brought his free hand up to Donghae’s face, resting his index finger against Donghae’s chapped lips, pausing momentarily before his hand reached over to hold his cheek, thumb brushing his cheek gently. There was still a lingering look of hesitation when Donghae held their hands together.
“Min,” Donghae tugged him towards the bed, eyes twinkling as the moonlight lined his figure with a silver lining, “Brother, please...”
~/
The morning after, Sungmin had been a lot more snide with his remarks.
“Is that all you got, Hae?” Sungmin flicked his wrist, successfully knocking Donghae’s sword out of his hand and onto the sandy ground, “you can do better than that.”
Donghae bent down to pick up his sword, only to throw it down again as he stormed out of the practice arena. Sungmin slouched, walking after him as he too discarded his sword and shield, beads of sweat already rolling down his face.
“Donghae, where are you going?”
“Away from this place,” Donghae’s voice was strained, as if he was trying not to cry, “away from you.”
“Hae,” Sungmin paused, running up to catch his little brother, tugging on his arm and holding him still, “what’s wrong?”
“Everything’s wrong, you’re better at swordsmanship, you’re more calm and righteous, everyone likes you more, I’m just the other prince who’s only good at frolicking and playing and making trouble...”
“Hae, but you’re not, I will not let you trash yourself like that,” Sungmin pulled him around, their armour clunking awkwardly, “you’re amazing and everyone knows that. What better way should a young adult like yourself spend his time if one doesn’t enjoy his youth?”
“But everyone likes you more, you’re much stronger, powerful, charismatic, charming...”
“I know, which is why Prince Donghae himself couldn’t resist me,” Sungmin smiled impishly, his fingers caressing familiar areas.
“I hate you...” Donghae’s breath hitched when Sungmin brought his hand up and closed his eyelids. He almost gasped when he felt Sungmin’s breath against his lips, “Min, we can’t...”
“Then let’s go somewhere else, lunch is soon anyways.” Sungmin kept his hand over Donghae’s eyes, and Donghae could only whimper an agreement as they made their way back to the palace.
~/
Donghae had enough of Sungmin and his inconsistent actions. They’d make love one night, and Sungmin would pretend that nothing had happened the morning after, that Donghae was no more than his caring little brother.
Donghae never left his room that morning, head buried against the silk pillows decorating his bed until his brother walked in. Familiar hands sank down against his skin and Donghae bit his tongue to contain the sigh that threatened to escape his lips.
“You weren’t there for lunch or afternoon tea, I was worried about you,” Donghae felt the bed sink beside him. He turned the other way, attempting to hold whatever childish grudge he could because Sungmin was being indifferent again.
“Why do you care?” Donghae muttered spitefully as he stretched to yank a pillow down, hugging it tight, “Oh right, you shouldn’t, you have Sunny and Sanghwan and the throne.”
“Hae, not this again,” Donghae heard Sungmin let out a dramatic sigh.
He flipped around and sat up, pouting. “What do you mean this again, I know I’m spoiled, I need to have my way, but that can never happen with you because you have Sunny and Sanghwan and I can never have you to myself, do you know how painful that is?”
“Shh, you talk too much.” Sungmin smiled softly and Donghae had his breath taken away. The sun complimented Sungmin’s body, his eyes twinkling and bright, and Donghae almost melted when his older brother leaned in to kiss him softly.
“Wh-what was that for,” Donghae wiped the corner of his mouth, hiding a delighted grin and attempting to mask his voice with anger, “why did you just kiss me like that?”
“Do you really need me to answer that?” Donghae shook his head and looked up, leaning back onto the bed as his brother draped the thin sheets over their bodies.
~/
Donghae sat there in retrospect, the scene before his eyes floating by back when they were young. They were at the same table, except Donghae had to be sitting on top of a stool because he wasn’t tall enough, and Sungmin was still sitting in the same spot across from him.
Sungmin was naturally well mannered, even when he was ten and Donghae was eight, polite and considerate and family friends always praised him, patting his soft hair and pinching his cheeks. Donghae was less presentable, but nonetheless an adorable child.
They’d finish their meals early and Sungmin would politely ask for their absence from the dinner table before pulling on Donghae’s hand and the two would flutter off to play together.
“Donghae, would you pass me the pepper,” Sungmin asked and Donghae nodded, handing him the hand crafted shaker, their fingers brushing momentarily.
“Thank you.” Sungmin smiled and Donghae felt his breath hitch. He tipped his head down, biting his lip to stop himself from blushing.
~/
“Brother, listen to me.”
“I don’t need you to protect me anymore, I’m old enough to take care of myself,” Donghae snapped angrily. He sat on the edge of the bed, defeated and angry.
“Do you really think I’d risk losing you?” Sungmin rested his hand on Donghae’s shoulder, the cold metal of his shoulder plate soothing against his warm skin, “I could never risk losing you, no matter what.”
“Why?” Donghae turned around, eyes brimming with tears. Frustration and exhaustion and compassion overtook his body when Sungmin held him close, taking off the heavy plates of protective armour. “Why are you always so indifferent, you’re warm during this hour and cold the next, I just, I just can’t take it anymore...”
Sungmin successfully took off his armour, to which Donghae gladly raised his arms to take off the heavy chainmail. His hands trailed up his forearm towards his shoulders and Donghae let out a soft moan.
“Shhh,” Sungmin breathed softly into his ear, his hands working around his shoulder and down to his chest, “it’ll be okay.”
Donghae wanted to argue back, saying that, no, it wouldn’t be okay because Heechul was going to wage war against their country because Donghae did the most foolish thing out of spite, inspired by jealousy. He merely wanted to make Sungmin value him more as a lover and not as a brother. He turned around and was taken off guard when Sungmin brought him down onto the bed, pressing their lips together.
“I love you, Donghae. I will do anything and everything to protect you...”
~/
“Father, I have decided that I will fight Siwon on behalf of Donghae,” Sungmin announced during dinner. Donghae dropped his fork in horror because this was not suppose to happen. Sungmin told him that he had a way to solve the impending problem and that Donghae needed to relax, because his smile and his eyes just didn’t look right when he was stressed.
Donghae knew he should have confronted his brother when he announced his thought, but when he did that thing with his hips, Donghae was lost again, waves of pleasure washing over his body, and clenched his eyes shut, embracing the endless sensations attacking him. Sungmin kept on whispering that it would all be okay, that Donghae needs to trust him and Donghae nodded, head thrown back as Sungmin picked up the pace. He couldn’t argue even if he wanted, and soon he was half panting, half moaning, succumbing to Sungmin’s touches.
“No, brother, you can’t, I, I will face Siwon, I will fight Heechul myself,” Donghae stood up, knocking his chair down in the process, “this all originated because of me, I will be the one to put this to an end.”
“Father, both you and I are more than aware that Donghae simply doesn’t have the swordsmanship capable of going against Siwon, it would simply be suicide for him to go in.
“I must fight this battle myself; I cannot cower behind my brother for protection.”
“Donghae, stop talking,” Sungmin resumed eating. Their father continued on with their meal, his brow wearing an unbearable weariness.
~/
Donghae couldn’t bear to look anymore, tears wouldn’t even form when he heard the gasps around him. The enemy flags flickered in the distance as the fight dragged on. He saw Sunny holding onto Sanghwan in the periphery of his eye and he was overcome with guilt and a flaring hatred for himself.
The fatal slash was obvious when Sungmin stuttered backwards, and Donghae couldn’t suppress the feelings anymore as he collapsed onto the cement bricks, both his knees scraped. Siwon moved in and dealt the finishing blow, the edge of his sword impaled against Sungmin’s side and Donghae swore he heard the metal puncture flesh.
Sunny had already left the balcony, a handful of maids trailing after her, calling out hollow words of comfort. There wasn’t anyone to comfort Donghae like that, for people valued the loss of their prince and heir, no one would comfort Donghae for the loss of his lover, but merely the loss of his beloved brother.
Sungmin was gone, likely dead, and then Siwon had the nerve to take his body with him, dragging it along the sand, tinting golden yellow with crimson red.
Donghae was broken and nothing could fix him.
~/
“Min, Min, I love you,” Donghae buried against the pillows, inhaling deeply, trying to find his scent in the pillows. His fingers grasped at the sheets in that familiar manner whenever Sungmin entered him. It was futile, his brother was gone, the only person he had truly loved was gone, and he doesn’t even have his body to mourn over.
Donghae opened his eyes and Sungmin was standing there in front of the window, he almost jumped up hopefully when he began fading into the rays of sunshine, nothing more than an outline remaining in its wake.