Chapter Text
jungkook was mortified that he got shot with an arrow. and it was by a mere raider. maybe it would’ve been less embarrassing if it was an attack from the rebels, but raiders, really?
you’d think that after 4 years on the job, an extra 5 years of training, he would know not to intercept it with his own body, but rather, in different ways, like slicing through it with his sword (because he was well trained enough to do that), dodging it entirely (his trainer would kill him knowing he wasn’t fast enough), or just seeing the attack in the first place (his trainer would definitely kill him for not seeing the attack coming).
either way, jungkook was probably dead, because this definitely wasn’t cupid’s arrow.
on the other hand, having a prince fret over him while an arrow jutted out of his shoulder was quite the change.
“shit, shit, shit,” the prince mumbles, half of jungkook’s body on his lap, clueless hands roaming everywhere. “fuck, do i pull it out? do i leave it there? shit.”
jungkook could vaguely hear the other guards fighting the raiders - piece of cake - but the prince’s panic was just as overwhelming as his pain.
despite the blood gushing out of his wound, despite the fact that he was starting to feel lightheaded and numb from the pain, he smiles.
“fuck - i need a physician! a healer! anyone!” the prince yells amidst the chaos. “where the hell is namjoon? where-”
“you should know better than to swear, your highness,” jungkook croaks, hissing as a spike of pain ran down his body. “the queen would be most displeased.”
the prince stares at him in disbelief. “are you smiling right now? jungkook. you have an arrow in your shoulder. must you worry about my swearing?”
“prince namjoon won’t ever forgive me if he knew i let you swear so freely, your highness,” jungkook mumbles. okay, he definitely is starting to feel really dizzy. maybe it was why he was sprouting shit he wouldn’t usually say. his eyes flutter shut.
“that would be the least of his worries right now. but the queen would definitely be ‘most displeased’ if you don’t stay awake, jungkook, and i am ordering you to stay awake,” his prince says, and although his tone is reprimanding, jungkook feels the small butterflies in his stomach when he hears the concern in the prince’s voice. maybe it was cupid's arrow.
this time though, unfortunately for both of them, the pain overwhelms him, and he thinks about the prince’s order that he really can’t follow before feeling himself succumb to darkness.
-
seokjin feels the panic rising as jungkook’s eyes close and he goes still. not very princely of him to lose his cool, really, but he yells, desperate, “i need a healer, right now.”
thankfully, within the village, several physicians appear, and the closest one to jungkook bends down next to him on the road, pulling out supplies from his bag and begins attending to the young guard.
“thank you,” seokjin breathes a sigh of relief, but he can’t watch as the healer wraps his hand around the arrow, looking like he was going to yank it out.
subconsciously, seokjin runs his hand through jungkook’s hair as he surveys his surroundings. no villagers seem injured, thank god, and although some of his guards seem injured, they looked fine. his brothers also look fine, and luckily their guards seemed better off than his own.
laughing under his breath bitterly, seokjin knows that he was targeted, being the one in line for the crown. even if the raiders just wanted anything that they could grab their hands on, they always assume that he has the most gold on him.
he hated that his family were threatened whenever they ventured out of the palace together. he hated that his guards were always the one that were in danger because they were protecting him.
he spies namjoon running up to him and he slips his hand out of jungkook’s hair, knowing that he shouldn’t be doing it. being the one in line for king comes with a couple of restrictions, to say the least.
“hyung! are you okay?” namjoon comes to a halt, kneeling next to seokjin, eyes searching for any injuries.
seokjin rolls his eyes. “i’m fine, joon, i always am. what about you? taehyung?”
“we’re fine,” his brother replies hesitantly as he looks at the injured guard lying on seokjin’s lap. “is he-?”
the question goes unfinished as jungkook groans, moving around slightly, but remaining unconscious. seokjin feels his heartstrings being tugged.
“he’ll be fine,” the healer replies, applying some ointment to the wound. “he’s lost a lot of blood, your highnesses. this means that he won’t be allowed to do anything but rest for quite a long time. i trust you can keep him from doing so.”
seokjin’s shoulders sag. he didn’t even realise he was so tense, so worried about his guard. he sees namjoon watching him out of the corner of his eye, but ignores him. he’ll be asked questions later anyways.
“thank you,” seokjin says again as the healer sits back on his legs, wiping his bloody hands on a cloth. “what is your name?”
“park jimin, your highness,” the healer bows low. “please, your highness, may i ask you of something?”
namjoon has to nudge seokjin to reply - he was too focused on the man in his lap. “hm? yes, go ahead.”
“i am aware that you have healers in the palace, your highness, but i would prefer if you called me to attend to his wounds everyday for at least a week,” the healer - jimin - politely asks. “i know the boy and his family, and it would reassure them greatly if i could be the one attending to him until he is healed.”
seokjin was so focused on his own emotions that he didn’t notice the way the healer had taken one of jungkook’s had into his own. and while that caused the smallest amount of stupid, unwanted jealousy to flare up in his chest, seokjin softens at the request.
“of course,” seokjin replies, smiling kindly at the healer. he looked like a delicate man, but sure with his hands. “i’m sorry you had to do this for a friend.”
jimin wrinkles his nose. if seokjin didn’t know better, he’d say that the healer had quite an attitude. “not at all, your highness. he and i both knew what he was getting into when he decided to become a royal guard.”
without meaning to, the words pierce seokjin as guilt rises up to his chest. he hated that people were put in danger because of him. he hates it even more that jungkook, of all people, was hurt.
jimin notices his discomfort and immediately apologises. “i didn’t mean it that way, your highness, forgive me.”
seokjin shakes his head, dismissing the matter. he knew he had to control the guilt one way or another before it ate him up whole. he was a prince - it was bound to happen. he should also work on concealing certain emotions better than he was doing so now.
“i’ll see you at the palace tomorrow, then, jimin,” seokjin replies softly, “i will send a guard to accompany you.”
jimin nods, still clearly worried, but he lets go of jungkook’s hand, stands up, bows low once again and rushes off to help the others who were injured.
“hyung, don’t think i didn’t notice that,” namjoon warns as he flags down his guards to help bring jungkook back to the palace.
“notice what?” seokjin says indifferently, although he knows.
“father won’t like it,” namjoon says. “he already knows that your feelings differ towards the guard.”
“his name is jungkook,” seokjin replies firmly. “and i don’t care. i can deal with him another time. maybe you can become king instead.”
“you know that father-”
“yes, yes, he would never allow it, blah blah,” seokjin scowls, very un-princely. namjoon’s guards surround them as they make a move to lift jungkook. “be careful with him.” seokjin tries hard not to snap, but he knows with namjoon’s look that he failed.
he sighs. “you’d be the better king, joonie.”
“hyung-”
“we both know its true. now come on, lets get back home, mother will be panicking.”
-
when jungkook wakes up again, he’s in his small bedroom quarters that he shares with three other guards. he blinks a couple times, adjusting to the light. then, the throbbing pain appears.
“morning sunshine,” his fellow guard, hoseok grins from his corner of the room. jungkook notices the absence of the other two guards they shared a room with, but he doesn’t comment on it. hoseok has a bandage wrapped around his head, and the way he sat made it looked like he bruised his butt, but other than that, he seemed fine. “feeling better?”
jungkook groans. “i feel like shit. how long have i been out? how is-”
“prince seokjin? oh, he’s fine, you definitely made sure of that when you oh-so-heroically intercepted a poorly shot arrow with your body,” hoseok sniggered, swiftly getting to his feet as jungkook makes a move to sit up. “easy, now. you’ve only been out for the night. but really, did you panic or something? it’s not like you to miss an attack like that.”
jungkook feels his pride being punched down a couple notches. he doesn’t know how he didn’t anticipate the raid, see the signs, but he brushes it off. its too late now anyways. “i did my job, though. i protected him.”
hoseok sighs. “yes, but we both know that the prince hates having his guards injured. especially you.”
jungkook ignores the latter part of the sentence, but agrees to the former. "at least i didn't fall off my horse."
"did not!"
"then why are you sitting like that?" jungkook retorts, satisfied when hoseok doesn't reply but gives him a glare.
prince seokjin wasn’t really your average prince. some might say that usually princes don’t interact with their guards, as they are just there for the sole purpose of protecting. if they lose a guard, it wasn’t hard to find another one.
seokjin is different, though. when jungkook was appointed a royal guard to the eldest prince, he was surprised to find that the prince talked to his guards a lot more than what was expected of him. it was clear that his father, the king, disapproved. that was understandable, they couldn’t have the risk of the prince becoming too attached to his guards, or vice versa.
but still. it meant that seokjin was extremely nice to them whenever he could be, always offering them food, sending them small gifts, even going to the extent of visiting each guards’ family.
usually, princes wouldn’t bother with all that. they didn’t have the time.
though, jungkook supposes that, considering seokjin was in line for king, he should probably get the locals to favour him, rather than hate him. however, he dismisses the thought of seokjin being nice for political reasons. he has a feeling that the prince was just a man who considered other people’s thoughts and feelings, and cared for others.
jungkook could definitely tell he cared for him when the prince was cradling him in his lap after he got struck. his cheeks burn at the thought.
he knows that the prince hates when his guards are injured. he had said so himself.
jungkook recalls the memory clearly. they were accompanying him on his monthly visit to the village, and they were ambling along the road on their horses when the prince said, “i know you are my guards, and this is a silly thing to say, but i do hate to see you hurt.”
jungkook, hoseok and the other 2 guards assigned to seokjin were silent. they couldn’t think of a single thing to say, until jungkook spoke up, saying, “we are trained for that, your highness. we swore to-”
“yes, i know, protect me with your lives,” seokjin had sighed. “still, it doesn’t mean i can’t hate it.”
and that was the end of that conversation. after that, the guards tried their best to hide any injuries sustained during a raid or an attack, because even though they are just meant to be royal guards serving the prince, all of them could not help but become rather fond of the prince, albeit in a slightly different way for jungkook.
“i hate to worry him, though,” hoseok says, pulling jungkook out of his thoughts. “he’s so nice to us, the least we could do is not get injured. even though that’s pretty much impossible. he kept asking us if we were okay as we were coming back up to the palace. but anyways, a healer will be here in a bit to attend to your wounds.”
“healer?” jungkook frowns. “i’ll be fine, tell them to go away.”
“you know, rumour has it that he asked our prince specifically if he could attend to you,” hoseok says slyly, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. even injured, he knew how to make the mood lighter. “what’s with that? i thought you were enamoured with our own prince seokjin.”
“that- wait, i am- that’s not the point!” jungkook groans. he’s a really good guard. those appointed to prince seokjin had to be really good. extra good. jungkook can definitely handle the physical side of things, even if he just got shot by an arrow. but when it comes to his so-very-obvious crush on the prince, the entire continent might as well know.
hoseok laughs at his discomfort, opens his mouth to say something, but is interrupted by the knock on their doors. “ah, damn. you’re lucky the healer just came, otherwise i would’ve-”
“come in!” jungkook says loudly, desperate to shut his fellow guard up.
upon seeing park jimin, he decides he would rather take on hoseok.
“jeon jungkook, you are meant to be resting,” jimin fires at him straight away, storming up to the guard with fierce eyes. “that means lying down! not moving!”
“damn, you’re pretty,” hoseok mumbles, thankfully taking jimin’s attention away from jungkook.
the healer’s demeanor changes immediately as he sizes up the other guard, smiling sweetly. “you’re not too bad yourself.”
hoseok blushes, but jungkook rolls his eyes. he knows jimin could easily have a person wrapped around his finger within moments of meeting him. even now, years and years after knowing the healer, jungkook still finds himself doing whatever jimin wants him to do.
unfortunately, hoseok’s distraction doesn't last long, and jimin turns back to jungkook.
“hyung, before you start, i’m fine, i literally just woke up-”
“you got shot by an arrow, you idiot,” jimin interrupts, dumping his bag of supplies by jungkook’s small mattress. “let me see.”
jungkook knows better than to argue, so he sits there quietly as jimin fusses over him, knowing that the healer was more worried than anything.
“you know each other?” hoseok asks curiously, his blush still apparent from jimin’s compliment.
“yes, since we were children,” jimin speaks before jungkook can, effectively silencing him with the i’ll-hurt-you-if-you-move-a-muscle look.
jungkook rolls his eyes. he was shot by an arrow. not strangled. his vocal chords worked just fine. he decides not to tell jimin that, just in case.
jimin works on him for a bit longer, before re-bandaging up the wound and lightly slapping jungkook’s head. “do you even know how scared i was, you idiot?”
jungkook smiles weakly. he knows jimin cares. “good thing you were there, then, hyung.”
jimin snorts. “good thing indeed. i told your parents you’re fine, by the way, but don’t be surprised if you get a letter telling you to go home to see them.”
“i’d be surprised if there wasn’t one,” jungkook mumbles, wincing as the throbbing intensifies. jimin doesn’t miss it.
“they’ll have herbal tea in the palace, right?” jimin asks. he turns to hoseok, smiling sweetly again. “could you possibly go ask for some?”
“uh, yeah, of course,” hoseok stutters, stumbling over to the door and ringing the bell that was hanging next to it. a minute later, a maid appears, and jimin rattles off to her what tea he needs before she curtseys and scampers off.
“hyung, hoseok-hyung is hurt as well, could you just look at him for a bit to check if he’s okay?” jungkook asks, knowing that jimin wouldn’t deny his request. he also knew that hoseok tended to downplay his injuries, but he’s known the other guard for long enough to know that he’s still hurting.
“oh, no, jungkook, i’m fine, he doesn’t need to-” hoseok falters as jimin gently drags him to sit on his bed. “ah. okay.”
satisfied that his friend was getting looked at by a healer with more than capable hands, jungkook slowly lowers himself back into a lying position, biting back the hiss that threatens to leave his mouth as the pain spikes.
vaguely, he thinks about prince seokjin. memories of their last conversation floods into his head, and he has to resist the urge to hit himself in the head. of course his delusional self would think to joke in a serious situation. with the prince, nonetheless. the prince. this time, he doesn’t stop the groan leaving his mouth.
being a royal guard meant several things. you protect your prince with your life, is the main one, really. you serve him either until you’re too old or you die, and you are with him at all times. exceptions are made, obviously, such as sleep, meals, or when you are injured. it also means that you shouldn’t get distracted by things.
and jungkook, the fool, is very much distracted by his feelings for the prince. four years into the job, and he still catches himself staring at the eldest prince far too often. and far too often, the prince stares back at him. jungkook wishes it was what he thought it was, but he knows too well that it would never be allowed.
the many glances that he gives the prince was enough for his other guards to notice and start teasing him about it, but they all know that it is forbidden. or at least, really disapproved of. if the king were to find out - honestly, jungkook’s surprised he hasn’t yet - he would strip jungkook of his duties and send him home.
royal guards can’t afford to be distracted by their emotions. they are there to serve the royal family and to protect them.
the only good thing about his growing feelings for the prince was that it meant that he really would do anything for him.
the arrow through his shoulder proved that much.
he’s pulled out of his thoughts when there is a knock on their door. probably the maid bringing the tea that jimin ordered a couple minutes ago.
the door slides open, but it isn’t the maid bringing the tea.
instead of the maid, a tall, lean, broad-shouldered man stood in the hallway.
jungkook’s heart thumps loudly as the prince steps in.