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He met him on Sunday.
“Cute sweater.”
He looked up, surprised. Looked down at his own sweater, and then up at Jungkook, almost disoriented.
“Do you really like it?”
Jungkook found the follow-up question strange, considering they were completely strangers by the washing machines, and the other guy probably had his least attractive piece of clothing available to wear at the moment.
“I do. It’s a beautiful scenery knitted in wool. Don’t know the place, but it wouldn’t hurt to be there right now.”
Jungkook feels stupid for saying things like these. Stop being so hopelessly optimistic and romantic when nobody gets your longing, Jungkook.
But the stranger smiled, like he understood.
“It really wouldn’t, would it?”
And then Jungkook froze.
His hazel eyes were glinting, his lips were mischievous. There was something different about him. The city didn’t kill in him what it killed in everyone else, didn’t turn his spirit dull yet.
“What’s your name?” He adjusted himself better on his seat, trying not to come too close so as not to scare the other guy.
“Jimin.”
“Nice to meet you, Jimin. I’m Jungkook.”
Jimin grabbed his hand, and Jungkook was immediately doomed.
They left the laundry together, holding their clothes and their awkwardness tight against their chests, walking down the streets as if it wasn’t New York and nobody would cuss them out for cruising like snails on the busiest sidewalks in the world.
But time stopped when they looked at each other, so why bother?
Jungkook found out Jimin lived nearby and was switching jobs, and suddenly the sky went from blue to orange and then pink, and Jungkook didn’t want the conversation to end.
“Can I have your phone number?”
“Uh…”
Shit.
Jimin’s eyes looked everywhere but at him. “I don’t have one.”
Jungkook’s heart shattered into a million pieces. If he’s making up something like that—
“But I can write down my address for you, so you can visit me!”
Jungkook frowned. He found it weird that Jimin would give away his address to a stranger like that, but he took what he could get.
That’s how he got home smiling, closing the door behind him and putting the basket on top of the stove, then throwing himself onto his sofa until his thoughts weren’t as loud as horns and his heart wasn’t beating like a bull’s in a race.
He calls his long time friend Namjoon and tells him all about it. Namjoon, from the other side of the world, tells him to pursue the guy and that he deserves to be happy. And that he needs to go back to sleep now.
“Come meet your new colleague, Jungkook.”
Monday morning came, and suddenly he was face to face with Jimin again.
Jimin froze at the same time as him, and then he blinked up at Jungkook until Jungkook forgot where he was.
“Jimin….”
“I can sense that you know each other, Jungkook?” The manager cut through the air.
“Actually, we met yesterday at the laundry. Nice to see you again, Jungkook! It will be a pleasure to be working with you.” He extended a hand to him again, and Jungkook, in a trance, grabbed it.
“Okay then, Jungkook, you’re in charge of teaching him everything you know. He’ll be behind the counter with you, and now the weight of the world won’t be entirely on your shoulders. Holidays are coming, guys, let’s sell a fuckton of perfumes!” He clapped enthusiastically and then left both of them alone in the break room.
Silence.
“He looks like that Lenny guy from The Simpsons.”
Jungkook broke out in laughter immediately. “He really does.” And he never realized it.
Jungkook found it really useful to have Jimin by his side, learning all about the art of fragrance a month before the holidays. Jimin was enthusiastic, clung to every word, and then applied it graciously to his customer service. They had fun together in a way Jungkook didn’t have with anyone else for a long time.
It’s after their first week that Jimin lets it be known he’s looking for a new place, because his landlord is giving him the creeps, giving him stalker-ish vibes.
Jungkook offered his sofa and immediately felt stupid for it, because even in a perfect world that would be reckless, but Jimin started grinning ear to ear, and Jungkook would take any win he could get. Yes, they’ve known each other for only a week. No, Jungkook doesn’t care about stranger danger anymore.
Jimin took Jungkook’s sofa the same way he took over Jungkook’s life, and he wasn’t complaining at all. They went out together for drinks and chatting the same way they went to the bodega to replace a random pack of seasoning. Living life with Jimin showed Jungkook that perhaps, before him, he had been a little bit too lonely.
Because boy, how much Jimin is filling that gap now.
Jimin is obsessed with mint tea. And random things, random objects that catch the light, and then he keeps stacking those for himself, too. Jungkook feels bad that he can’t offer more comfort for him in his tiny apartment, even if Jimin insists he’s totally fine. It’s a week later, and Jimin has had no success in finding a new place. Jungkook loved that he’s had no success in finding a new place.
One one those nights, it came the rain and there was raging lightning with it, and Jungkook heard whimpers from the living room. He walked over to it, and Jimin was shivering, terrified.
“Jimin.”
Jimin jumps.
“Sorry. Must be the cold.”
Jungkook takes a step further, beckoning him in. “Come, let’s go to my room.”
Jimin sits up slowly, eyes wide. “Your room?”
“I can take the sofa instead.”
“No!”
“Jimin.”
They have a staring match, but Jungkook is relentless.
“I’ll come with you then. Don’t leave me alone.”
Oh.
“Okay.” Jungkook swallows hard.
Jimin sleeps on the bed, yes, but not Jungkook. He stays awake right beside Jimin, immobile, eyes wide open.
Jungkook had shown him his favorite coffee shop, and Jimin already came up with ideas.
“I don’t like it.”
“What don’t you like about it?”
“Too sweet.”
“Hm.” He picks up the mug and stares at it. Jungkook furrows his brows. “Are you sure? Why don’t you taste it again?”
“But I don’t—”
“Just try it.”
He does. And it tastes delicious.
Jungkook moans out loud because it’s so good. “Fuck me, what happened?”
“It’s the rule of tasting twice.”
“Never heard of it.”
Jimin shrugs.
“Did you just make that up?”
“No…”
“Jimin?”
He only shrugs. “Do you like it or not?”
“I love it. The best thing I’ve had in this place. I think it’s my new favorite. That’s insane.”
Jimin watches him, smiling.
“Hi. How are you?”
Jimin’s eyes are red. He had been staring out the tiny window for quite some time, arms tight around his torso.
“Good.”
He doesn’t make eye contact.
“Jimin.”
“What?” He seems restless.
“You know you can talk to me, right? I know I can trust you. You can trust me too.”
Jimin stares at him blankly, like his eyes are fixed elsewhere, his mind far away.
“I know.”
“So…?”
“It’s complicated, Jungkook.”
Jungkook presses his lips together. “I see. It’s okay. No pressure.”
“Pressure! Right. I’m gonna take a shower with a lot of pressure. Right. I need that.”
Jungkook stays there, taken aback, blinking. Jimin’s entire demeanor changed.
“I made you samgyeopsal. Your favorite.” He tries.
Jimin pauses on his way to the bathroom. “Is that it? Oh. Thank you.” He still looks miserable, trying to conceal it. “I’ll eat it later.”
Jungkook nods, cheeks pink.
“Your soul is so young.”
“Hm?”
“Your soul is young.”
“What?”
“I’m sorry, this is silly.”
They’re sitting down on the grass and its Central Park but they can also pretend it’s an isolated forest if they ignore the people passing by their little nook sometimes. Jimin had been bowing at every squirrel he encountered.
“No, tell me,” he laughs. “Care to explain, sir? Do you want to read my hands?”
“I don’t read hands.” He shakes his head, smiling. “It’s just… I feel that your soul is very new. The youngest I’ve ever seen.”
“I see.” Jungkook doesn’t judge him, despite not really understanding. Until he remembers Namjoon has said it to him once before, a decade ago. Maybe he’s the type to attract people like this and that’s okay.
They’ve been throwing bread at the ducks until a guard comes and tells them it’s forbidden now. Jungkook gets up to leave, but Jimin throws one on the back of the guard’s head.
And now they’re running.
And they’re running because the guard is after them.
They approach a fence, and Jungkook gives Jimin a boost to go first, then follows right after.
The flashlight flickers, and there’s a whistle.
Jungkook reaches out, and Jimin grabs his hand.
They run through the crackling leaves, through the cold wind of the unknown and the night closing in around them into the deep forest.
Jimin seems to know exactly where they’re going. He leads, and they slip behind a massive tree trunk, and Jungkook presses a finger to his lips, signaling silence. Jimin stifles a laugh.
Their hearts are racing.
He fears the guard might hear it pounding.
Jungkook looks down at Jimin’s lips.
Jimin presses him against the tree.
And they kiss.
And Jungkook can’t believe he spent his life without knowing what Jimin’s lips feel like.
“I wanna do that again.” Jimin nudges him right after they brushed their teeth before bed. Jungkook’s mind doesn’t even work; he’s bracing himself for whatever Jimin might say next.
“Do what?”
“Kiss?”
“Um.”
“Did you ever kiss someone else?”
“I did… why?”
Jimin stays silent.
“What about you, Jimin?”
“Of course I kissed someone before,” he answers a bit too quickly.
“Show me then,” he says, with a big smile.
Jimin kisses him chastely.
Jungkook fakes passing out.
“Stop it!” Jimin grabs his arms and brings him closer again. What an idiot. “Kiss me the right way.”
“There’s no right way.” Jungkook is laughing just to piss him off.
“Stop it! Do it like you did to me on that tree.”
Jungkook takes in air. He’s taken aback by Jimin’s bluntness. “Okay.”
He does exactly what they did on that tree, and in fact Jungkook gets so lost in Jimin’s lips and the way his tiny waist molds into his palm that they miss the doorbell a few times. There was pizza on the way, and the guy left it at their doorstep, getting colder by the minute.
They were at a Yankees game, and they showed up on the big screen for the kiss cam, and they both were shocked.
Before Jimin can even react, Jungkook pulls him in and their lips meet again. Third time this week. The crowd goes crazy.
And Jungkook is floating until he notices the paleness on Jimin’s skin, or the way he retracts himself and he’s not smiling anymore. Jungkook is sure he fucked something up when they’re leaving the stadium and Jimin kept avoiding his eyes, looking down, covering himself with a cap.
Jimin keeps flinching and looking around.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Let’s go.”
They walk down the streets and turn corners heading to the next subway, but then Jimin pulls on his hand and changes course, and they go somewhere they have never gone before.
What’s Jungkook supposed to do rather than comply?
Jungkook can see the river now, and there’s weird green and forest he never encountered before.
The night is young. Just like Jungkook’s soul.
“Jungkook, do you have your phone with you?”
“Of course.”
“Call the police.”
“What?”
“Call the police right now. There’s someone following us.”
“Shit.”
He picks up his phone and sees that there’s no signal.
“Fuck. Shit. What do we do now?”
“There’s a payphone somewhere here… right down the corner…” He’s pale, and his lips are trembling. “I need you to—I need you to go and try to call them, alright?”
“Alright. Wait, come with me.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
Jimin avoids his eyes and he’s holding back tears. “I just can’t, Jungkook, I can’t go there.”
“You can’t go to the payphone with me?”
“I…” he shakes his head, looking miserable, and Jungkook is terrified. “I can’t explain. Just. Promise you’ll be back for me?”
“I don’t understand, Jimin. What are you even saying?” He frowns.
“Just promise me and then go.”
“Alright, alright, I promise.”
Jimin’s eyes flicker somewhere in the deep forest.
“Go!!!” Jimin pushes him on his way opposite to him and he’s so confused he doesn’t object and doesn’t question it.
He looks back again, and Jimin hugs himself, and there’s an ugly feeling in the pit of Jungkook’s stomach he’s trying to push away.
He finds the little cabin, he dials on the payphone, and he can for sure reach the police, and then he comes running around the corner again, the river right by their side, reflecting the moonlight… but Jimin is gone.
His heart comes to a halt.
No, this is not happening.
“Jimin. Jimin! Jimin!”
He runs around and screams his name, and his knees falter, and he keeps running in circles, searching for him.
Until he cries in despair.
The police comes. The night is not so young anymore, and he reports everything to them, and then they leave.
And then Jungkook is home alone again.
He’s so depressed he doesn’t get out of bed the next day. He doesn’t sleep at all, and then he turns on the TV just because.
And it shows on the news.
[Prince Jimin found alive in Manhattan Island, now safely returned to its country.]
“What…” He squints at the TV and slowly gets up to it.
He stays there, watching as they report on a life he didn’t know about, and Jimin’s face is plastered everywhere, like his heart wasn’t beating beside his just yesterday… and a country he didn’t know existed…
“What…”
Jungkook is sure he’s in a trance. He falls asleep on the carpet, wakes up with his face full of marks from it. Head full of questions too.
Nobody remembers Jimin at work.
Namjoon doesn’t remember Jimin.
His phone doesn’t have any pictures they had taken together either.
He keeps thinking about their nights, stumbling down the sidewalk, giggling, Jimin’s arms coming around his neck as he kisses his cheek in thanks for Jungkook covering their tab.
If he thinks about Jimin hard enough, maybe then he could come back in time.
He goes to work as usual, despite feeling hollow inside, until one day a letter shows up at his doorstep. And Jungkook just knows it’s from him.
He grabs it, opens it, reads it and then sits on the floor and cries. Jimin told him he’s fine, and that he misses him. Jimin asked him to remember the promise. Jungkook doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
But Jimin keeps updating him vaguely telling him that he’s fine and that he’s happy he’s met him. Every now and then there’s a new letter.
Jungkook re-reads the letters every day. And then he repeats to himself that he wishes Jimin was right there beside him.
Reading one of them, Jungkook had asked out loud by the end, “Why didn’t you choose a small town to hide in, Jimin? Why?”
The next day another letter comes with a response.
“I was naive, wasn’t I? I came to the conclusion that I indulged myself because I didn’t know how much time I had left. Turns out I didn’t have much.”
One tiring day after work, Jungkook crosses the threshold of his and Jimin’s apartment, because it never stopped being theirs, and there’s someone else standing in his living room.
He sees a man, freezes, grabs the nearby bat that stands behind his door. Aims it at him, ready to throw a full swing.
“Seriously, dude?”
“Who are you?” Jungkook’s voice trembles.
“I’m Taehyung. Jimin’s best friend.”
Jungkook seethes.
“What did you do to him?”
“Me?” He laughs. “No, let’s start from the beggining. Sit down.”
“It’s my house! I won’t obey a stranger.”
“Jimin is quite weird, isn’t he? I bet, for human standards, he must be.”
“What?”
Taehyung sighs. “He was exiled. For a year. Because of his misdemeanor,” he air-quotes, “and he was supposed to come back, but… he didn’t.”
Jungkook still holds the bat tightly in his hands.
“And I get it! This place is fun. But his parents were pissed.” He laughs.
“Where are you going with this? Where is Jimin?”
“He’s back at the Fae realm, Jungkook. To reclaim his place as the crown prince.”
“Ha, no. You’re just bullshitting me.”
“I really don’t.”
“Trying to brainwash me. You’re from the CIA? Just know I don’t believe you. Jimin comes from a tiny country that I don’t remember the name of anymore. They took him back. But he didn’t want to leave! I know he didn’t.”
He says the last sentence more to himself, and it hurts.
“Clever Fae magic. Oh yes, he was creative!” He claps his hands, laughs.
“What?”
“That’s why nobody remembers him, isn’t it?”
Jungkook blinks.
“Couldn’t find the news anywhere anymore?”
Shakes his head. Fuck. What?
Taehyung sighs, leaves the tea mug on the table. Jungkook notices that he had it in his hands the whole time and gets even more mad at the audacity.
“Where did you buy this tea?”
Jungkook glares at him.
“Seriously, it tastes amazing.” He widens his eyes. “I need some of that.”
He looks down at the teabag. Squints at the brand name. His heart clenches. “It’s… it’s Jimin’s.”
“Ah… that makes sense.” Taehyung opens a big smile. “It fits him well.”
“Okay, that’s it. What the fuck is happening here? Where is Jimin? For real?”
“He’s at the realm!”
“Dude, how the fuck am I supposed to know what you’re talking about? And why should I trust you?”
Taehyung gets up, puts his hands on his hips.
“Who do you think carried the letters right to your doorstep?”
“Huh?”
“He’s not a politician’s son of any country here at least, Jungkook. He’s a supernatural being who wanted to live as a human for a while.”
“What?”
“The whole news thing never happened. It was only something aimed at you, for you to believe in. He thought it’d make you give up on him…” He smiles. “…but boy, you’re stubborn.”
“What? Why? What does this mean? You’re shitting me.”
He extends a hand. “Hold it.”
“No.”
“Hold it, Jungkook.”
“I don’t trust you!”
“Jimin said your favorite pastime is watching snow duckies melt because it reminds you of home, and also the loss of your childhood and innocence.”
“I—what? Why did he tell you that?” His voice pitches up.
“Jungkook, I don’t mean to pressure you. I know it’s a delicate matter, but we don’t have the fucking time for that. They’re gonna marry him off soon for what I heard!”
“Oh, really?”
“Really. We have to hurry! Don’t you agree?”
“How much more information about me are you withholding?”
“Okay, you know what? I can delete your memory. What about that? I can delete your memory, and you can forget Jimin even existed. Is that what you want? Because I can do that for you.”
Jungkook stays silent, looking at him with a hard-set jaw. He doesn’t want to forget Jimin.
In the back of his mind, he wonders if Jimin could’ve deleted his memory too, but just didn’t.
“Prove that you’re who you say you are.”
“You realize I haven’t told you who I am until now, right? You know nothing about me.”
“I—fuck! You’re such a pain in the ass, dude!”
“Jungkook! He needs you! He’s in danger! For God’s sake, help me help you help him!”
Jungkook’s head is spinning.
“Where are you taking me?”
He takes a deep breath. “I’m taking you… to the realm. To the other side.”
He’s uneasy on his feet, lips pursed. Like fetching a tantrum kid who doesn’t want to leave the mall’s playground.
“To the other side?”
“Yes. To the other side.”
“How are we going?”
Taehyung extends a hand again and glares at him. “My hand is a portal.”
Jungkook looks down and then up.
“It’s the only way?”
“It’s the only way.”
“If you kill me, Jimin will never forgive you.”
“And you think I don’t know that?!”
Jungkook can’t measure up to how much he regrets grabbing Taehyung’s hand. He started spinning and his guts turned inside out and he was too cold and then too hot and he wasn’t a material body anymore, until they spawned in an open field and tumbled face first on the grass.
“For a first time, you sure looked more stupid than the rest.” He mocked Jungkook, as he brushed strands of hair off of his face and he was dressed so strangely Jungkook can’t believe he didn’t notice before. White suit, dark polished dress shoes.
Jungkook was about to flip him but realized he couldn’t physically do it.
They’re walking along endless fields under the most colorful sunset he has ever seen. He’s starting to think this is paradise, despite Taehyung warning him it’s the ugliest place, the worst and most dangerous one.
The weirdest part is that it seems familiar.
“What’s the name of this place?”
“The realm?”
“Yeah, what’s it called?”
Taehyung says something unintelligible, a string of sounds that seem to hum and twist in the air. It takes him a long time to finish.
“Come again?” Jungkook squints.
Taehyung repeats the same long, incomprehensible word, slower this time, as if that would help.
“I can’t even begin to understand what you just said to me.”
Taehyung shrugs.
They set up a bonfire, meaning Taehyung did most of the work and Jungkook kept glaring at the weirdest wild flowers he has ever seen. Taehyung had warned they were all poisonous.
“I don’t mean to sound rude, but how did you guys take so long to find him in the biggest city in the world?”
“The biggest city in the world?” Taehyung reaches his back pocket and takes out a gigantic map that wouldn’t even fit there, and studies it, confused.
“The biggest city in the world is Saskatchewan.”
Jungkook blinks at him.
“What.”
“Saskatchewan. The biggest city in the world. Everybody in the Fae realm knows this.”
“They’re wrong. Everybody is wrong.”
“Really?!”
“Dude, what kind of information-gathering skills do you all have? They’re terrible!”
“We hired a guy. A human guy. And he helped us with that.”
“And he was some kind of professional?”
“He was! He had a pizza hat and a pizza shirt. That’s how geographers dress,” he says proudly.
“Geographers. Taehyung, that was just a pizza guy.”
“Pardon me?”
“A pizza delivery guy. God. He totally scammed you.”
“No!”
“Yes! He was fricking with all of you! Obviously!”
Taehyung extends a hand. “Give me a minute.” He sits down, crouching, and it’s so strange, especially in his white suit and dress shoes. “Frick.”
Jungkook can’t believe what he’s witnessing.
“So that means… your capital isn’t Vegas?”
“Okay. This is it.”
“What is it, specifically, Taehyung?”
“I’m gonna get you into the castle.”
“The what?”
“And you’re gonna disguise yourself as a servant.”
“I’m gonna what?”
“And then you’ll slip into the royal chambers without getting caught.”
“I’m gonna die!”
“And then! Listen to me. You’re gonna warn Jimin that you’re going to free him from there, and you’re gonna live happily ever after.”
Jungkook’s heart is pounding. “This is going to go so wrong.”
“If it does, you’re gonna die quickly, so it’s okay.”
“I’m sorry, what?!”
He gets pushed beyond the gates without further warning, and then he’s trapped. The gates close behind him, and Taehyung is gone.
“Frick. Frick! I can’t curse! Why can’t I curse in this place?!”
He walks around a little bit until he decides this is the end for him. He will never find himself in this place, and he’s sure he’s going to get caught before he even realizes it.
“Hey.”
He jumps and feels his soul leave his body and then come back as he turns around and sees Taehyung again.
“I was just joking. I’m not going to leave you alone.”
“What is wrong with you?!”
“I just can’t get past the gates, so I used an alternative.”
“Do I want to know what alternative that is?”
“No. But I know where you can change clothes.”
It’s so silent in the middle of the corridor. It’s gigantic, made of marble, but full of nature everywhere. He spots a lot of dangerous flowers too.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure, but let’s get going.” He guides Jungkook inside a broom closet.
“Why aren’t you saving Jimin instead of me?”
“I don’t get it.”
“You can come here whenever you want, you know the place, you know he’s trapped… so why?”
They stare at each other as Taehyung turns on an oil light.
“He doesn’t want to be freed by me, don’t you get it?”
Jungkook blinks at him as he hands him the oldest burgundy robes he’s ever seen, heavy and embroidered with patterns and shapes.
“Throw it over your head.”
“I don’t understand, Taehyung.”
“First of all, you’re human. It takes a while to detect a soul like yours in here. Especially because you give off a different vibe, I can’t explain. Yes, there are buttons on it. Button it up to the top. Second, I tried before. It didn’t go well.”
“What happened?”
“We were young, reckless, we tried to prove we were smarter than everyone else. Turn the collar up so it doesn’t look sloppy.”
Jungkook is taking in too much information, his head spinning.
“But it backfired on both of us, and that’s how it started a string of attempts from Jimin to get out of this place. He always tries to get out, he’s always caught. He’s always being punished. It’s like an eternal prison.”
“Can’t he just quit from this life?!”
Taehyung snorts.
“For a human, you’re funny. I get Jimin’s obsession now.”
“Jimin’s what?!”
“Two corridors from now there’s a huge door, unmistakable. That’s Jimin’s room.”
He gets pushed past the door.
“To what side?”
“Any side works.”
Jungkook glares at him. It’s too hot under the thick layer.
“Just go straight to the door and act confident. Open it and you’re going to see Jimin. Go.”
Suddenly, Jungkook’s heart starts pounding.
“And then what?” he whispers.
“Then you’ll figure it out together.” He winks.
“Shirt. I mean, shirt. Frick, I can’t curse.”
He walks down the corridors and looks back. There’s no Taehyung in sight. It all feels like a fever dream. He counts two corridors and then some, passes by a few servants who all look as handsome as Taehyung, and then the gigantic double door appears in front of him.
It’s guarded by four huge knights.
He takes a deep breath and squares his shoulders. The closer he gets to the door, the stronger he can sense Jimin’s presence, so it’s easy. It’s fine.
It’s fine. It’s fine. It’s fine, he thinks.
He ignores the guards, twists the doorknob, and faces a wide room with a balcony and open windows, breeze coming in.
Jimin is peacefully sleeping on his bed, his back to the door.
Jungkook remembers he has to close the door behind him. He avoids eye contact with any of the men outside.
It’s so silent inside. He approaches Jimin carefully, extending a hand to touch him, but then recoils it.
Jimin starts stirring, and Jungkook freezes, only watching.
Jimin moves to get up and looks around, frowning, confused. His face is puffy like someone who’s been crying.
Then he spots the other person in the room and gasps.
“Jungkook.”
“Jimin.”
Jimin gets up from his bed, and a weird chain sound follows him. He walks around the bed and then comes to hug him.
Jungkook squeezes him so hard there’s no air left in their lungs. He looks down and sees, in fact, chains on Jimin’s ankles.
“Jimin,” he whispers, terrified. He hugs the back of his head, cradling him in.
He hears faint crying.
“How… why…”
“Sorry for dragging you into this.”
“Don’t be sorry for asking for help. I’m here, aren’t I?”
“I’m already regretting it.”
“Why?”
“You’re in danger now.”
“Am I? Didn’t see it.”
“Stop it.” He punches Jungkook and walks away. “What are you doing with these clothes?”
“Taehyung.”
“Oh God.”
“I’m going to get you out of here.”
“Jungkook…”
“I mean, I’m doing nothing anyway.” He tries to land a joke. “If it’s okay with you. Leaving paradise.”
Jimin’s face turns somber. “This is no paradise, Jungkook. This was my home for a long time, until it stopped feeling like it.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Nobody deserves to be trapped here.”
Jungkook thinks of Taehyung too.
“Do you prefer our tiny apartment on Manhattan Island, is that it?”
Jimin smiles sadly. “I never felt more free.”
“Jimin…”
“Tell me.”
“The first time we met. Your sweater. Is it this place?”
Jimin nods, smiling, still looking sad. “It is.”
Jungkook looks around, out at the balcony, then at the moon.
“What do we do now?”
“You’re not going to do anything.”
“I think I will.” He pulls off the robe after fighting with some buttons and lets it fall to the floor. Then he lunges at Jimin and kisses him.
Just like they did against the trunk. Just like they did in the bedroom later. A little bit less chaste than when they kissed at a Yankees game.
He grabs Jimin’s waist like he’s going to escape at any moment, knowing it’s realistic that he might vanish again.
“You came back for me,” Jimin whispers against his lips. “You really did.”
“Was that the promise?”
Jimin nods.
“And now I’m going to promise you another thing. We’re going back to my tiny place.”
“Jungkook.”
“I’m going to figure it out.”
“It was nice seeing you, but now I’m fearing for your life. Don’t do anything stupid. And curse Taehyung for me.”
“Do you want to keep living like this?!” He searches for Jimin’s eyes, but the other looks lost.
“I don’t deserve to live like anything else.”
“That’s not true. I’m going to blow up the gates of this place.”
Jimin covers his mouth with his hand. “Don’t be loud!”
“I’m going to blow up this place if they don’t let you out, or they’re going to—”
“We are going to what?”
Both of them freeze. There’s a third voice in the room.
“We are going to what, human?”
Jungkook slowly turns around, hiding Jimin behind his back. His heartbeat stops. It’s much colder in the room now.
There’s a tall woman with raven hair and expensive nightgowns looking down at him. She’s easily six foot seven.
“Mother,” Jimin speaks up from behind him.
“And what is this? Whose head am I going to get chopped now?”
“My name is Jungkook. And who are you?”
Jimin takes a deep breath at the same time as the woman.
“I am the Queen.”
“Not my queen. I’m not even from here.”
“Jungkook—”
“And I challenge whoever wants to stop me, because I’m taking this one with me.”
“Oh, a kidnapper?” She smirks, bitter.
“No. A friend.”
“Just friends?”
“I… I’m fond of him. I care about his needs, and I kind of want him to be free from this place. So what do I have to do?”
“Jungkook,” Jimin grits through his teeth.
“I see. A fearless contender for my only son’s hand. Do you want the crown, is that it?”
“No, I don’t want your crown.” He spits on the floor, surprising himself.
“And what do you want to do with my son?”
He squares his shoulders, not even sure anymore if he’s not in a coma hallucinating all of this. He’s come so far. Why back up now?
“I want to free him.”
“Free who?”
“Jimin.”
She bursts out laughing.
“Free my Jimin? My only heir? Are you proposing to him?”
“What?! No! He’s my friend! I just want him to be happy.”
“Is he not happy here?”
“I don’t know. Ask him yourself.”
“Don’t talk to me like that. You’re not that dumb yourself.”
“What can I do for you… for Jimin to be free?”
“Nothing!”
“There must be something.”
She laughs again.
“I bet I could do it. Are you afraid I’m going to succeed?”
Jungkook didn’t see it before, but they’re surrounded by guards now. Everybody is watching.
“Fine.” She smiles, icy cold. “Go fetch a dragon’s head, and I’ll let you keep my Jimin.”
“Are you serious?”
“If you bring a dragon’s head to my feet, you can do whatever you want to him, so you better get going. I’m bored. Entertain me a little. These wild beasts haven’t been bothered in a long time. That’s going to be fun.”
He looks around. There’s no escape.
“Fine.”
The Queen looks surprised.
“If it’s the head you want, the head I’ll bring.”
She breaks into a big smile as loud rattling starts behind them. One of the guards is holding Jimin back, because he’s fighting to break free and ready to fly directly at the throat of his own mother.
“Fine then. Now let me go back to sleep. You have three days.”
“Three days?!”
“And you’re taking Taehyung with you. I know he’s listening.”
“Dude.” He comes out from behind the guards, because one of them pushed him into clarity.
She turns to him as if he’s an unruly child and points at his face. “That’s your responsibility now. Are you bored enough to bring down a commoner from the outer world? Go play the little game, then.”
“Jungkook!” Jimin’s anguished voice comes out squished as he doesn’t give up on being freed.
“I’m so sorry.” Is what Jungkook leaves him with, and then he turns on his back and leaves with Taehyung.
“I can’t do this, Taehyung.” They’re walking down the forest with a backpack Taehyung got out of a fallen trunk half a mile away from the castle, saying it was for emergencies like this.
“Well, I mean, I wouldn’t expect you to be able to do it anyway.”
“No, I mean, kill a dragon. I don’t think I can harm one.”
Taehyung stares at him, silent. “Okay.”
“They’re animals too, right? I don’t like hurting animals.”
“You do realize dragons are vicious, right? They’re ruthless.”
“So? They’re protecting themselves. Their lineage, their treasures.”
“Huh.”
“Would you ever hurt a dragon?”
Taehyung keeps staring ahead, silent.
“Jungkook, I think I got it.”
“What?!”
“Treasures. What if we bring… we bring something with us… to prove that we had a get-together, but we didn’t kill them? But at least the close contact…”
“Dude.”
“Think with me! Doesn’t that make sense?”
“Not really. We could just come out as thieves.”
“Frick, you’re right.”
“For someone who was born and raised here, you’re not very good at reading your own problems.”
“Frick off.”
They travel to the spot, and they can hear dragons from far away. It’s a haunting sound, but beautiful at the same time. The mountains are way taller than what you could expect.
They get closer and closer to what Taehyung called “the border,” and then he drops the bomb in Jungkook’s lap that he’s marked up and can’t go any further with him.
“Sorry, dude. They blacklisted me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“I didn’t know they were going for the same thing!”
“Why are they insisting on dragons?”
“Maybe they want something from them…”
“Maybe they want their teeth, or the scales, for something?”
Taehyung stares into the open as the sky turns from pink to blue, and then his mouth falls open. “They want to make magic with it again.” He puts both hands on his head and slowly walks away.
“Is this a bad thing?”
“It’s a terrible thing! Gosh, why didn’t I realize it before? Why did we get into this? Now all that makes sense! If they do the right potions, or… or… the right spells… they’ve been needing the extra power for a while.”
“So if I bring them a dragon’s head, for some reason, I’m going to make them more powerful?”
“Much, much more powerful.”
“So I shouldn’t do it?”
“I don’t know what you should do now.” He crouches on the floor again and looks so stressed that Jungkook thinks it might be the end of the world.
But he takes a deep breath anyway. He grabs the backpack and puts it on. “Okay. I’m going to figure it out.”
Taehyung looks up at him.
“Thank you for your help. I guess I should just follow their sounds, right?”
“I can’t watch this.” He covers his face with his hands. Then he comes running and hugs him. “Please don’t die. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll figure out another way to take Jimin out of there.”
“I’m not going to die.” He doesn’t believe it one bit. “Tell him we’re going back to my tiny apartment, okay?”
“You’re going to tell him that yourself.” Taehyung pats his back, and Jungkook starts walking.
“Jungkook!” Taehyung shouts from a distance. Then he throws something at him.
A watch.
“You have two and a half days now!”
Jungkook nods. Two and a half days.
He sleeps in a tent, gets caught in rainstorms, follows random trails, and eats bread and a lot of different types of nuts. He finds a leaf of mint in the deepest part of the backpack. He wonders if Jimin ever had a part in putting together the “emergency backpack” with Taehyung. His heart clenches at the thought of the two younglings idealizing plans like that.
He knows it’s time when the ground starts to shake now and then. There’s a volcano nearby, and the sounds of the roars are so loud they nearly give him heart attacks every time. There’s an uneasy feeling inside him, not because he’s afraid, but because he really doesn’t want to harm an animal, no matter the size or the destruction capacity.
He finds the opening of a cave.
“That’s it,” he mutters under his breath.
He drops the backpack in a random corner and slowly walks down the path that’s widening rather than narrowing down.
A dragon roars above the mountain and everything inside the cave trembles. Jungkook loses his footing and drops to all fours. How he is going to figure all this out is beyond him.
“Holy mother of God.”
Another ten or twenty steps ahead and he can feel warmth. “Hello, excuse me?”
Another roar, another round of everything shaking up, including random stalactites falling here and there.
“I’m sorry for entering your space. I shouldn’t be doing this…” He’s panicking. What else is he supposed to do in front of dragons?
“I was supposed to save my friend, but they asked for the head of one of you guys. But I don’t want to bring the head of a dragon to them. That’s vile. And I don’t like them.”
He’s sure he’s gone mad by now.
“I just wanted him to be free. I bet you guys like to be free too. That sour queen said something about how it’s been a while since you guys were bothered by them, so…”
“Jungkook?”
Jungkook freezes. Is he hallucinating? Is he dead?
“Hey, to the other side.”
There’s a bifurcated path, and he’s squinting to figure out who’s in the other tunnel. There’s a man slowly coming toward him.
“Namjoon?! Is that you?”
“Jungkook?!” He rushes over to him and they throw themselves against one another in a hug. Jungkook’s breathing fast against his shoulder.
“Namjoon hyung? Am I dead? What are you doing here? What’s… why are you here?”
Namjoon is also holding him very tight. “This is my home, Jungkook.” He laughs, and Jungkook doesn’t understand. “I heard your voice, and I thought I was crazy too, but I’m the one supposed to ask you what’s going on.”
“I, it’s a whole thing. I’m supposed to save a fae prince from his fate, and I just want him to be free and come back to our apartment. Or maybe not, if he doesn’t want to. But then his mother, I mean the queen, told me I’m supposed to bring the head of a dragon to them because Jimin will be released because of it, and then…” he breaks the hugs and starts walking in circles.
“Calm down.”
“And then Taehyung dropped me off a few miles from here and I’m just following my intuition.”
“Taehyung?” Namjoon crosses his arms and pushes his tongue against his cheek. “Haven’t heard that name in a long time.”
“Do you know him?”
“If I know him? How do you know Taehyung?”
“He was the one bringing Jimin’s letters to my place when Jimin was kidnapped back to the realm. It’s a whole thing.”
“Huh.”
“Why?”
“Well, he tried to invade our territory once. It wasn’t pretty.”
“For the dragons?”
“No. Not for us, Jungkook. For him. He almost died.”
Jungkook gulps. “What do you mean by us, Namjoon?”
Namjoon gives him a slow smile. “Exactly what you think it does.”
“But you’re my… and it’s been years since I’ve known you. And you’ve always been there. And you never showed any signs.”
“How do you think we disguised ourselves in the human world all this time?”
“I… we’re going to circle back to this, but I don’t have time right now. And Taehyung…”
“Dragons are very possessive and territorial. He came wreaking havoc with random fae magic, and it pissed off a lot of dragons. A lot of them. Especially because it was rubbing in their faces what he was doing with the ancient magic we dragons sourced in the first place. He’s lucky he’s alive.”
“We theorized about why they want a dragon’s head again. It’s for spells and potions, for more magic.”
“Jungkook, they never had magic in the first place.” Namjoon laughs. “They exploited dragons for centuries, and then a revolution came and we put them in their place.”
“How did they even overpower you like that?”
“Some of us were tricked with fake kindness.” His lips turn into a line.
Jungkook sits down. “I don’t want to ask you for anything. That would be crazy. But now I don’t know what to do about Jimin.”
“Jimin is your boyfriend?”
“I mean, no, but…” His cheeks turn cherry red and he looks at the ground. He’s wearing the same outfit he’s had since Taehyung first found him. It’s his uniform. It’s ruined by now.
“I get it.” Namjoon smiles. “I had one of those.”
“Did you? When? You never told me.”
“A long time ago.” His eyes get lost.
“How long?”
“A few centuries.”
“God, how old are you, hyung?”
Namjoon shrugs. “A bit old, not going to lie.”
A lamp lights up in the back of his head. “You told me once that I have a young soul. Jimin told me the same thing.”
“He did?”
“Why did you tell me that?”
Namjoon moves closer and sits beside him on the floor, tapping his knee. “Because creatures, rather than humans, can feel those things. And you, Jungkook, for sure have the youngest soul I’ve ever seen. I’m one hundred percent sure this is your first life. You seem very fresh and free of burdens in a way other people are not.”
Jungkook slowly breathes out as the cave trembles again because, well, dragons.
“And the eyes.”
“What about them?”
“They’re the window to the soul. Never heard of it? That’s how we know.” He smiles, fond.
Jungkook’s heart is pounding.
“That’s crazy.”
“I mean, it’s romantic if you see it from a perspective—”
“I mean all of this. Namjoon, you’re a dragon. But you’re my childhood best friend. And I never knew it.”
“You ever considered Jimin might not be human too?”
“No. Just unbelievably pretty.”
“That’s your sign.”
Jungkook laughs. And then he remembers. “Frick. Jimin.”
“I’ll tell you what. I’ll help you.”
“Please don’t tell me you’re giving me your head.”
“No, silly. I’m going to introduce you to my people, and we’re going to fetch the fae for you.”
“That’s one way to say it.”
“Come.”
Jungkook has been having the weirdest dream for days, and he’s afraid of the moment he wakes up.
“Oh, wait. The backpack.”
“With all due respect, Jungkook, that backpack won’t cross our territory any further. I can still smell Taehyung from there.”
“Oh.”
They keep walking for an hour until he’s on the other side of the cave and it ends in the forest again. But it’s much wilder this time, as if it was never tamed by any human ever, as if the forest is not even from earth. Well, it’s not from earth, Jungkook’s not on earth right now, or is he?
“I can hear you thinking.”
Jungkook looks up to a red dragon gliding above them, and there’s a lot of them perched up on the side of mountains and others sharing gigantic pieces of meat. He can’t even fathom from where it’s coming.
“Stay close to me, so they know you’re not food.”
Jungkook grips Namjoon's bicep and doesn’t let go anymore.
“We’re going to talk to some people and then we’re heading south.”
“And that means…”
“That we’re going to get your Jimin.”
Your Jimin. He likes the sound of that.
There are more humans inside a huge tent right in the middle of a clearing, and Jungkook assumes they can all transform into their other shape whenever they feel like it.
Upon entering it, there’s a huge table in the middle with a map Jungkook doesn’t recognize. One of them notices Jungkook eyeing it and then blocks the view with his body.
“Easy. This is Jungkook. My human best friend. I’ve known him since we were kids.”
“How were you a kid if you’re centuries old?” Jungkook suddenly feels the need to know.
Another man laughs. “We can disguise ourselves however we want, little guy.”
“He’s just kidding, we have life cycles, it’s difficult to explain.”
Jungkook has half a mind to be offended until he remembers he is, in fact, a very little guy compared to them.
“And what brings you here, Jungkook?” An older man with long hair up in a half bun approaches him. There’s a sword at his hip.
“I need to save my friend. I need to free him.”
“Is that so?”
“I trust him with my life, Jaehyun, and there’s a fae he needs to protect. What about scaring the fae down south a little bit?”
Jaehyun looks intrigued. “Won’t they come back to bother us again?”
“They’re not very powerful nowadays. Their well ran dry.”
“That’s why they asked me to bring a dragon’s head at their feet again.”
“Did they?” Jaehyun lifts a brow. Others are listening intently.
“I’m so sorry to ask this, but why are you all dressed like you’re going to war?”
Silence follows, and then they laugh.
Jungkook feels like a little puppy who’s not going to be taken seriously at all.
“Because we are.” A blonde man with hair down to his feet walks up to him and points at the table. “Sensitive information right there.”
“You’re going to war?” He looks up at Namjoon, and the other shrugs.
“That’s for another time. Now, who’s got a free afternoon for a little bit of bullying for old times’ sake?”
“I’ll go with you. I really want to see that bitter witch’s face.” Jaehyun says.
“She’s not a witch, Jaehyun.”
“I know. If she were, she’d actually be powerful.”
A handful of men laugh at his joke.
They find an open field up a little hill. It tires Jungkook out a bit, but at this point, nothing else matters.
“Okay. Don’t freak out now. We’re going to shapeshift.”
“I won’t freak out.” He will.
“I’m purple and Jaehyun is emerald green, so you know how to differentiate us. And then you’re going to mount my back.”
“Sure, why not.”
“And you’re going to hold on tight.”
“Okay.”
“Please, Jungkook, do not fall. I may not even see that you fell.”
“Right.”
He spots Jaehyun becoming more naked by the second, not an ounce of shame in his body, and he can’t hide his red cheeks and shock. “What is he doing, hyung?”
“Right, this part is… if you’d prefer to turn around so we don’t rip our clothes.”
“Right. Right.”
He turns his back, and there’s only silence. He admires the view, the breeze, and he knows he won’t be able to process much information bundled together like this for a long time.
Then a stronger wind comes, and he knows it comes from a pair of wings. He slowly turns around, and his knees falter.
He’s face to face with two gigantic creatures. Beautiful, majestic, terrifying.
He doesn’t know if Namjoon remembers he’s his friend and not food.
Namjoon shakes his head and moves it toward his back.
Jungkook’s stomach drops and he’s suddenly full of nerves. He’s about to fly on a dragon’s back, who also happens to be his childhood best friend, who is also centuries old.
The other one, Jaehyun, is even bigger and much scarier looking. But he’s fine. He’s gonna be fine.
He walks up to Namjoon in slow motion, trying not to trip and eat grass, and he lifts one foot to climb up his friend. It’s the weirdest feeling. His fingertips meet the scales and he gasps. He hoists himself up until he’s halfway along his back. Then he climbs a bit more, until he’s seated right in the middle.
Namjoon huffs and gets up. Jungkook screams and grips tighter wherever he can. His heart might fall out of his mouth. Then Jaehyun flaps his wings hard enough for dust to get inside Jungkook’s eyes, and then he’s flying away.
A powerful killing machine going about his day.
Namjoon goes after him, and Jungkook’s stomach flips several times until he accepts he’s on the back of a dragon a couple million feet above the ground.
“I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine.” He repeats to himself.
Fifteen minutes is what it takes for them to circle the castle, which looks much smaller from up there.
They start to descend right to the entrance, and by now several guards and commoners have taken sight of the two gigantic creatures.
The open space reserved for carriages and horses and ranks of men now hosts the landing space for two ancient beings.
They don’t need permission to be given entry.
Namjoon huffs again at Jungkook, and he remembers he can let go now. He slides down Namjoon’s back as slowly and awkwardly as he can, and he can see from his peripheral vision that a lot of knights are approaching with sharp weapons, and a distressed queen is coming down the stairs.
“What is this?!”
“This,” Jungkook is still catching his breath, “are my friends, and I’m here to take Jimin back to where he was never supposed to leave. I’m taking him home.”
The woman is visibly terrified, immobile, hands clenched tight, several men in front of her. The king comes up beside her, and he’s even taller. He looks like he’s been busy somewhere else and arrives just now. He also has raven hair and dark eyes, and Jungkook can’t seem to understand why Jimin looks so different from them.
Jimin is blonde. He has hazel eyes. He is also kind. He is nothing like them.
“Where is he? Where is Jimin? I’m here to free him from this place.” He stands his ground, even if he feels like the least serious person in the entire courtyard. He was supposed to be selling perfumes at Saks, for God’s sake.
“No. This was not the agreement.” The queen’s voice trembles. She surely didn’t expect this.
“What agreement, Soraya?” the king intervenes, and his voice is as deep as his eyes are dark.
“If I come back with a dragon’s head at your feet, I can take Jimin away from this place. I didn’t bring only the head, I brought two, and they’re attached to their bodies. They’re not trophies to be held. These are my friends. And if you don’t let me leave here with Jimin, I’m burning this whole place down. What about that?”
The king is fuming. The queen passes out. The guards advance until the two dragons back off, and Jungkook was totally bullshitting, but as the only spokesperson in this situation, he’s doing the best he can.
One guard tries to stab a spear into Jaehyun’s side and immediately meets fire. Namjoon also breathes out fire to disperse the men on his side, and the growing army quickly learns it’s a lost battle already.
“Where is he?” Jungkook shouts over the screams, standing directly in front of the king.
“He’s in his royal chambers, and he is not getting out of here.”
“Namjoon! Let’s go find Jimin, I know where he is!” He shouts back at him, ignoring the king.
Namjoon positions himself so Jungkook can climb onto his back again, and Jaehyun quickly follows.
“You don’t even need to fly, just climb to that tower!” He points at the highest place in the castle.
Namjoon does exactly that. Several arrows fly by them, missing the targets completely.
He gets closer to Jimin’s balcony and jumps to it, adrenaline making his body move like he’s an Olympian.
“Jimin!”
He gasps, and his heart stumbles out of rhythm as he runs, and he can only see Jimin sitting up in his bed.
He’s still in his night robes, still looking tired, but his stare is aimed at the dragons. He’s not afraid. He’s fascinated.
His pink cheeks denounce that he has been sleeping and was not at all aware of what was going on on the other side of the land. Not until the commotion downstairs.
“Jungkook?”
“Let’s go.”
“I…”
“You’re coming with me.”
“I… okay…”
Jungkook tries to break the chains free from the bedpost, but nothing works. “Frick! Why are these not coming off?” He lets out a growl, more pissed than he thought he could be.
He runs back to the balcony, and he can hear knights approaching Jimin’s room.
“Where is Taehyung?”
“I’m sure he’s fine, hiding somewhere. How can we block the door?”
Jimin looks around and finds a sword used as decoration, now perfect for fitting between the doorknobs so nobody gets in unless they demolish the door.
“Namjoon, I need your help here. You need to melt his chains!”
“I don’t think this is going to work, Jungkook.” Jimin hasn’t caught up to the gravity of the situation yet.
“Frick, how’s he gonna fit his head in here!” He’s becoming desperate by the minute.
“Tell him to burn the balcony.”
“What?”
“He can destroy it for all I care.”
“I don’t know if he can do that.” He walks closer to Namjoon outside the balcony, as Jaehyun is spitting flames down below at anyone who dares to approach them.
“Namjoon! Destroy the balcony and come into his room to melt his chains!”
Namjoon takes a few steps back, and Jungkook runs to hide behind Jimin’s bed. He beckons Jimin to hide too, and then Namjoon swings his tail as hard as he can against the concrete.
Half of it crumbles immediately. He does it again and again, until it’s nothing but ruins of glass and bricks. Then he fits himself as best as he can and comes crouching in his dragon form into the middle of the room.
The rest of his body breaks apart his surroundings until he fits perfectly inside, with room to spare.
“Sorry about that,” Jungkook says.
“It’s fine.” Jimin is visibly in shock.
“I’m gonna need your leg.” He motions for him to get up.
“I’m afraid, Jungkook.”
“Please trust me in this. He’s my friend. It’s a long story.”
Jimin, with his beautiful hazel eyes and big pouty lips, stares at him and then nods. “Here.” He walks until the entire chain is exposed, from the bedpost to his ankle.
“Right in the middle, Namjoon. Can you do that?”
Namjoon looks around as if studying the situation, then nudges Jungkook with his nose until he’s pressed against Jimin and against the wall. Jungkook hugs Jimin, surprised, and Namjoon bites the chain until it rips apart from the rest. If they didn’t hug, they’d be flying around the room from the force.
And it’s much better than to get burned down by a miscalculation.
“Come, there’s not much time!” He pulls on Jimin’s arm, and the other complies, the chain dangling halfway and all.
“Hold on tight!”
“I’m afraid of heights!”
“Look at me. It’s gonna be okay!”
Jimin nods and closes his eyes tightly.
“Hold onto these.” He guides Jimin’s hands onto the scales and then sits right behind him.
Suddenly, Namjoon is flying again.
And this time, Jungkook has Jimin in his arms.
Jaehyun comes behind them, spitting a little more fire down at the guards.
“We did it, Jimin!” Jungkook starts laughing hysterically.
“We’re gonna die!”
“I’m holding you! You’re safe now!”
And it’s the scariest fifteen minutes of Jimin’s life, as he tells Jungkook later.
“I’m sorry if we don’t have much to eat right now.” Namjoon sits down on the table in front of them.
Jimin doesn’t eat meat, but he’s fine with a banana.
“How’s the shock going?”
“He’s better,” Jungkook says, arm around Jimin’s shoulder. “Right, Jimin?”
“Uhum.” His eyes are still lost.
“We need to find Taehyung now.”
“Why?” Namjoon asks. He can’t hide his distaste for the other fae.
“He’s the one who brought me here. His hand is a portal.”
“Right.”
“And he can bring us back to my place.”
“You know who else can bring you back to your place?” He lifts a brow, and Jungkook stares up at him, surprised.
“Of course! Otherwise, how else would you be in my world all this time?”
“See.” He points at his brain.
“But seriously, I’m a bit worried about him.”
Jimin suddenly shoves his face into the crook of Jungkook’s neck, and it’s instinctive, the way Jungkook hugs him back, brings him closer.
“We’ll figure it out. I’ll leave you two to it now.”
“Thanks for everything, hyung.”
“Anytime. It was fun. Goodnight!”
They sleep on each other’s arms for the first time, fitting into the tiny bed available to them in one of the tents. There are still a lot of questions inside Jungkook’s head, but he’s relieved that he’s at least safe now, and with Jimin in his arms. He doesn’t know how tomorrow is going to go, but he can breathe easier now. At least for now.
They’re play-fighting in the middle of the living room, and it’s snowing now. There’s no division between sofa and bed anymore, because they sleep together every night, hugging each other.
They’re inseparable now, even if they don’t have a name for what they have yet.
There’s a knock on the door, and Jimin goes running to it.
“Well, hello to you too!” Taehyung comes barging in with a pack of beers in one hand and burgers in the other. He swore off pizza after he found out about the betrayal.
“Does my burger have bacon in it?”
“Yes, meat boy, it has.” Taehyung rolls his eyes and throws himself onto the sofa. He’s been visiting frequently since their whole rescue adventure.
Later on, Jungkook found out that Taehyung had exchanged punches with the king and spent a couple of days hiding in the tunnels. He came back to gather gold and silver to sell in the human world and then left the realm for good. He has a job too now. He’s an apprentice tailor.
“Happy one month of freedom!” Jimin cracks a beer open and raises it to the sky. The others follow suit.
“When is he introducing you to his parents, Jimin?”
Jungkook chokes on his beer.
“I don’t know. I mean, he knows my parents by now.”
Taehyung barks with laughter.
Jungkook turns red as a tomato. “Soon enough. I really want them to know Jimin.”
“I’m sure you do, lover boy.”
“Stop messing with him.” Jimin nudges Taehyung.
“Yeah, leave me alone for once in your life!”
“How can I? Have you seen your socks? They have toes in them!”
Jungkook groans. Jimin laughs more. Taehyung gets up and starts running around the sofa because Jungkook is chasing him.
Jungkook’s phone pings. It’s Namjoon.
[I’m in New York next week. Can’t wait to see you guys ☺️]
“Namjoon is coming next week!” he announces out loud.
“I don’t care.” Taehyung immediately turns red and retreats to his spot with a beer and a mouth full of burger.
Jungkook and Jimin exchange knowing glances.
Jimin had told Jungkook in between whispers one of those nights that Taehyung harbored a deep crush on Namjoon, and that he tried to get his attention a couple of times, failing miserably.
Since then, Jungkook can’t wait to see them together in the same vicinity again.
“He doesn’t care about you either,” Jungkook tells Taehyung. He gets up and lands a kiss on Jimin’s cheek, just because.
Taehyung looks up, worried. Then he hides it as best as he can.
“You don’t mind, do you?” Jimin asks.
“No, why would I?” Taehyung answers defensively.
“Okay then.” Jungkook smirks at Jimin.
Next week is gonna be fun.
He hopes all the next weeks of his life are too. If he has these guys with him, he’s sure they will be.