Jihoon

Rain pelted down on Jihoon's masked face as he saw his plan coming to fruition right in front of his eyes. Chuckles slipped out from behind the thick material of the protective mask he wore, and the excitement in his men's eyes couldn't match the satisfaction Jihoon was feeling in that moment. The northern soldiers laughed along as their opponent was taken off guard by the sudden use of their lethal weapon. 

Jihoon's favorite weapon. 

Made from his very own garden. 

Jihoon had been planning something like this for ages, experimenting with several forms of plant mixtures and testing them out on prisoners in his dungeons. Like most Jeons, he was exceptionally intelligent when it came to inventions and problem solving. He worked day and night in his yard cataloging the chemical composition of several plants known to be poisonous. Over the years, hundreds of strains of different plants were grown and mixed, tested and tampered with, eaten and used to kill to find the perfect weapon.

A spreadable liquid that evaporated quickly into a dangerous gas, any person unlucky enough to breathe it in suffering instant paralysis of the body, intense convulsions, and hallucinations. 

And he was witnessing it with his very own eyes on the battlefield; the Laurel Soldiers would stop running in their tracks to fall over, terror spread across their faces, some convulsing as they tried to scream for the pain to stop. 

Jihoon put a stop to it though. With the sweet mercy of death. 

His masked soldiers were protected from the lethal gases, sweeping barbarously through the rows of fallen soldiers, murdering the incapable with sharp stabs from their swords. Some of his men even found entertainment by setting some of Kim's men on fire as their bodies shook from the effect of the poison. The desperate screams of soldiers trying to warn the squads in the back of the odorless gas up ahead were ended with decapitations. A few stragglers who were holding their breath were put out easily, dizzy from the lack of air. 

Jihoon was very pleased at the sight. 

And as an added bonus, he was even more pleased to see the Laurel Prince himself, right in the front of his prized dying army, bare and helpless without armor. Jihoon thought the sight deserved pity. The Laurel Prince really thought he could rely upon his soldiers to protect him. 

What a sick surprise for him then!

Jihoon was enraptured by the shocked look on the Laurel Prince's face as the capsules flew into his squadrons, burst open, and started doing their precious work. He reveled in the sight of the Kim boy yelling out frantic orders as his horse bucked around, and rejoiced when the boy finally slumped over himself, falling off of his horse and onto the ground. 

"Get the prince!" he demanded to his men, "Nothing matters now but getting the boy into our hands!" Jihoon was screaming in a booming voice that would scare most men.  

Jihoon watched as the Kim soldiers in the back witnessed their beloved prince collapse only to rush forward and suffer the same fate. Panicked shouting buzzed on the Kim side as the soldiers realized that Jihoon intended to capture the prince. Desperation caused them to push forward with makeshift face-coverings, swords held high as they sprinted towards the prince's convulsing body. 

Their masks prolonged the time it took for the gas to seep into their lungs, but they ended up on the ground eventually, Jihoon's soldiers rushing to brutally kill the fallen. 

Soon, a space around the blonde prince had opened. Jihoon's men jumped at the opportunity. 

A dozen armed men charged forward, grabbing onto the styled prince with their dirty hands. They lifted his twitching body up and rushed to deliver him to Jihoon, who was watching the entire thing from the far back, gloating over the blonde's failed attempt to say something amidst his convulsions.

"Ww-won'ttt..." Prince Kim's head snapped back and forth as the poison worked, "wwiin-thhhhhe...ww--wwarrr," the Prince's fluttering eyelids tried to stay focused on Jihoon's men, to no avail.

"Shut up Blondie," One of Jihoon's men took out his sword and hit the boy upside the head with the hilt. Prince Kim's head jerked back with the blow, eyes drooping shut as a large bruise began to form at his temple. 

Jihoon clapped as his men brought him the unconscious body of the Laurel Prince and threw him on the ground. Jihoon looked at each of his men in turn, making sure that they understood his next words carefully. 

"Take him to the stronghold just north of here and secure him. Make sure no one sees him. Throw him in a bag if you have to. We now have the upper hand in this war..." Jihoon took one last look at the crumpled Laurel Prince on the ground and snickered to himself. 

"Noirwood will be mine."

Stone Prince

Jimin's horse was going as fast as it could, racing through the Laurel Gates to the battlefield where Jihoon was slaughtering piles of men in the rain. Jimin had his sword out, ready to stand alongside the remaining Laurel troops and fight to the end.

Fight to get Taehyung back.

On Jimin's face was a look of utter hatred, his resentment for Jihoon stronger than any other emotion he felt. Jungkook was trailing significantly behind him, but Jimin wasn't paying too much attention to the things around him. Now, the only thing on his mind was getting Taehyung back. His horse leaped over rocks and darted around passing Laurel servants as he made his way to the battlefield. The rain continued to splatter against his cheeks. 

"JIMIN!" Jungkook's desperate wailing barely registered in Jimin's mind, "STOP! IT'S POINTLESS! YOU'LL JUST END UP LIKE THEM!!"

Jimin huffed and turned to look over his shoulder at the ravenette, who was wide-eyed and waving his arms around to get Jimin's attention. Jungkook's horse was struggling to keep up, falling farther and farther back. Jimin slowed down only a little, so the two could be side by side. Jungkook's proceeded his pleadings. 

"Please, Jimin! That's...it's some sort of poisonous gas! If you don't have a mask like the others it'll knock you out! I remember reading about poisons when I was younger, even the strongest men cannot-"

"Okay, Jungkook, okay! I hear you," Jimin slowed his horse down to a trot, and turned his horse down a side alley leading away from the Laurel Castle and into the local town, "We're taking a detour."

Jungkook frowned but followed along, both horses now walking calmly along each other in the pitter-patter of rain. Behind them, sounds of metal clashing and screams of Laurel soldiers eventually faded down to a distant rumble. Jimin didn't even notice Jungkook's red eyes until he glanced up at the ravenette when the town came into view. Next to him, Jungkook's defeated posture and quiet sobbing broke Jimin's heart. At that moment all Jimin wanted to do was comfort and hold Jungkook close to him. 

He wanted to pay the Oak Prince back the favor. 

"Jungkook..." Jimin's soft voice made the other quickly wipe his eyes and turn to face Jimin, "We'll get Taehyung back, don't worry. We'll get him back before he...he gets..."

"Killed?" Jungkook's voice was raw from screaming so much, "No...he won't be killed. He can't be. Jihoon wants me dead. He'll try to use Taehyung to get what he wants..." Jungkook trailed off. 

"He's not getting what he wants. We've come too far to let that happen," Jimin rubbed angrily at his face, "We'll have to come up with a plan to steal him back, and I don't intend for it to be through negotiation."

Jungkook nodded, thinking silently to himself. After a few minutes they arrived at a town, many people frantic with the ongoing battle that was going to be won by Jihoon. The news had spread that Jihoon and his army were murdering hundreds of Laurel soldiers by the second, that the Laurel Prince was captured, and that the world was coming to an end. One woman was hysterically crying in the streets while she clutched her newborn son close to her. Jimin watched as Jungkook pulled his horse off to the side to talk to her. 

"Ma'am, it's okay. I promise we'll make it right...for you and your child. We have to. For Noiwood," Jungkook forced a determined smile on his face and he reached his hand out to the woman. The woman sniffled and tilted her head to glance up at the mysterious black-haired man who was offering her comfort. 

"Who ar-" the woman stopped and something passed over her face. She definitely recognized the Oak Prince in the flesh. The woman bowed immediately, her newborn squished up against her chest, "Your h-highness I didn't know you came this f-far north."

"We're here to fix the problem, ma'am. You can get up now," Jungkook wiggled his fingers, encouraging the woman to take his hand, "Although Jihoon won this battle, he did not win the war. Please have faith in the banners of Oak and Stone."

Jungkook motioned to Jimin beside him who nodded his head solemnly. The woman's shaky hand came up to grasp Jungkook's, the tears still falling down her face. However, the tears were not from the circumstances she found herself in, but from joy at the unexpected encounter with the two princes. The Oak Prince forced a smile onto his lips and got one back from the woman, who appeared to be in much better spirits already. 

"T-that's the...the Stone Prince?" the woman looked up at Jimin on his horse with adoration, "Hello. I didn't expect you to b-be so..." she looked away, a light blush spreading on her cheeks.

"Handsome?" the Oak Prince finished the statement for her, his thumb lightly brushing the top of her hand in comfort. The woman looked up at him and timidly nodded.

"I m-mean, Prince J-Jeon, you are handsome t-too, um..." she peeked down at her child, who was drooling up at the two princes.

Jungkook laughed sadly then, releasing the woman's grip. He grabbed his reigns and gave one last wink to the woman who had stopped crying by then. 

"Thank you ma'am. Have hope. We'll take care of it soon. We'll do it so that your son can grow up in a better Noirwood," Jungkook slowly pulled away, rejoining Jimin who had watched the whole exchange quietly. Jimin lifted his hand up and gave a mini wave to the woman. The woman nodded intensely as if convincing herself of her safety, pulling her baby in close and watching two princes ride away from her.

When they were down the street, Jimin turned his head toward Jungkook who was being admirably selfless and trying to be hopeful despite the fact that Taehyung was in Jihoon's hands. It made Jimin's heart glad that someone so sweet was trying to offer comfort to others when he had so little himself.

It made Jimin feel a bit guilty. He would have to help the ravenette sooner or later.

The two rode until Jungkook stopped them at a relatively quiet inn near the northernmost sector of the town. He turned to Jimin on his horse and spoke with a depressing chord in his voice. 

"We'll...have to come up with a plan to get him back...there's no use trying to locate him now when it's rainy and getting dark..." Jungkook trailed off. He hopped off of his horse and brushed his rain-covered hands on his pants. Jimin followed suit.

"Yes. Tomorrow we'll have to act," Jimin walked over to the ravenette, placing his hand on the other's shoulder and squeezing, "But don't worry Kook, they won't kill him like you said...That'll buy us enough time to make a plan, gather support, get him out-"

"Okay Jimin, I got it. But I'm tired now...I think I just need rest," Jungkook looked past Jimin towards the north, probably to where Taehyung was being held captive by Jihoon. 

Jimin nodded and grabbed onto Jungkook's hand, the ravenette intertwining their fingers as they made their way to the inn entrance. A stable boy came to take care of their horses, luckily not recognizing the two drenched royals that were seeking out shelter after a tiring day. When they entered the inn, nobody was there except for a young receptionist, probably still in her teens. It was likely she was part of the family business and when she turned her blue eyes to the two princes at the door, she seemed surprised. 

She clearly did not expect guests after the events of that day. The girl stood up off of her chair and coughed before sweetly asking the two if they would like rooms. Jimin stepped forward.

"Actually, one room is okay," Jimin glanced over at Jungkook who looked exhausted, "And we'll need food and new clothes if you can provide them. We'll pay you handsomely."

The girl raised an eyebrow at Jimin's words but said nothing. She didn't recognize the rain-drenched princes, but she still treated them like she would any other guest. If they wanted to share a room, then so be it- her family would still get paid for their hospitality. 

"Sure thing!" she rummaged around behind the front desk and retrieved a key which she set on the counter, "Here's the key to the largest room we have, it's on the top floor all the way to the left of the second hallway," she pulled out a worn pad of paper and pencil, "Can I get a first and last name?"

"Oh...um..." Jimin fumbled to come up with a false name.

"Sungwoo," Jungkook spoke from behind him, "Kang Sungwoo."

The girl glanced up at Jungkook with curiosity but proceeding to write the name down. When she was done, she looked them both up and down. 

"You two alright? Did you come from the Laurel Castle or something?"

Jimin pursed his lips together and turned his head to the side, hoping the girl would get the cue that he didn't want to make small talk. Thankfully, she did. 

"Oh...I'm sorry. I'll get two meals and two sets of fresh clothes up to you in a little bit. For now, you're free to find your room," she gave them a half-smile and left through the back door of the reception room to prepare their things.

Jimin turned to Jungkook, "C'mon Kookie, cheer up. We're out of the rain now and we are getting a meal...it'll be alright."

Jungkook glumly shrugged his shoulders and snatched the key from the counter. He followed the gray-haired male up the flights of stairs and dragged his feet along the hallway floor until they were at their room. Jimin paused before opening it. 

"Sorry if you wanted separate rooms Jungkook, I just figured that you would be okay with sharing a bed...plus I don't want anything to happen to y-"

"It's fine," Jungkook took the key out of Jimin's hand and opened the door himself while Jimin stood a little perplexed off to the side. Jungkook was very put-off from the events of that day, and it bothered Jimin a little. Jimin sighed and entered the room, surprised at how neat and cozy it was despite the fact that it was a small family business. Jungkook immediately began peeling off his wet clothes, throwing them in a heap on the floor. 

Soon he was in nothing but his underwear, crawling quickly under the covers of the bed, teeth shuddering from the damp cold that he felt from the wetness. He slung his arm over his eyes and pulled the covers up to his chin. Jimin knitted his brows and walked over to the bed still in his wet clothes. As he was about to sit down, Jungkook stopped him with a raised hand. 

"Don't sit on here with wet clothes. Either take them off or sit somewhere else," Jungkook put his arm back over his eyes and sighed.

Jimin looked down at his clothes then. They were drenched, sticking to his body in uncomfortable places and chafing against his clammy skin. He really did want to be out of them, but he was still a bit insecure about himself...

So he stood there staring down at Jungkook instead. 

"Listen, Jungkook. I know you are upset about the situation, but before you were being so hopeful and positive about the situation...with that lady in the street-"

"That was an act," Jungkook didn't lift the arm from his face, "I'm honestly not even sure how we're going to get Taehyung back...Jihoon has poisonous fucking gas and all we have is ourselves!" Jungkook rolled over to face the wall, wet hair spilling across his pillow. 

Jimin reached out and put his hand on the younger's side, "Jungkook, we can find a way to get... or somehow make those masks, y'know..." Jimin paused, watching the rain drip down the window pane of their room, "Plus, it's not likely that he'll expect just two people to come for Taehyung. If we somehow sneak into wherever Kim's being kept they'll be caught off guard; I don't think the gas will be their first mode of attack since it's so close to their base...On the open battlefield sure, but-"

"Yeah yeah yeah Jimin, tell me about it later. I'm cold."

Jimin sighed at the younger's interruption, but he didn't blame the guy. Kim's army was now thousands dead and rotting in a field, while Taehyung was in the hands of Jungkook's own evil uncle. Jimin would be pissed off too, if his family was the cause of this mess. 

Jimin ran a hand through his wet hair and sighed, "When that girl returns I'll ask her for another blanke-"

"Jimin, I said I'm cold. Come lay by meeee, I need your waaarrrrrmth," Jungkook whined, not bothering to face Jimin. 

Jimin felt a rush of nervousness pass through him then. What if Jungkook thought Jimin's bare body was disgusting? Jimin's body wasn't malformed in any way (and he knew it) but somehow he always felt insecure when he didn't have clothes on. Plus, Jungkook's body was tanned and much more muscular than his; Jimin's proportions were more lean and delicate, like a dancer.

"Uh..." Jimin looked at his shoes, not knowing what to say, "I'm going to, um, just wait until that...girl comes back with the, um, clean clothes..."

Jungkook flipped over on the bed to face him then, removing the arm from his face and eyeing the discomfort in Jimin's body language, "What's wrong? You've slept with me before...oh," Jungkook's cheeks flamed red at what he had just said, "I mean, you slept next to me before, uh, with clothes on- how is this time any differen-" Jungkook paused, realizing the difference.

"Ohhh...your clothes."

Jimin turned his head away, embarrassed. He picked at his nails before saying one word.

"Yeah."

The ravenette sat up in bed then, noticing Jimin's discomfort, "Hey, it's not a big deal okay? If you don't feel comfortable I understand..." Jungkook shifted his feet around under the covers, "But I also don't get it...is it because of me? I don't have to look at you, y'know. You can just go under the cov-"

"Yes I know...I'm freezing too and really want to crawl under there by you, but..." Jimin shook his head with a hesitant look on his face.

Jungkook's bare chest showed up from under the covers, making Jimin blush at the thought of the skin contact between them if he were to get past his insecurity. 

"Why don't you then? Do you have a scar or something like Taehyung? If you think I'll think any less of you Jimin, you obviously don't know me..." Jungkook scratched behind his ear, "Jimin I like you and I understand if you don't want to because you're uncomfortable but...you can trust me, y'know."

Jimin bit his lip then, mirroring what Jungkook did whenever he was stressed or worried. Jungkook sat there staring at Jimin's wet clothes, waiting for an answer from the silver-haired man in front of him. Jimin stepped away to the bathroom, obscuring himself from Jungkook's vision before calling out to the ravenette.

"Alright. I'll do it. I'm too freezing to care anymore," Jimin's voice faltered a bit as he peeled the wet clothes off of his lithe figure, throwing them into the corner. He got a look at his pale body in the mirror and frowned a bit. He looked so small and weak without his clothes. His ribs were sticking out a little too, which worried Jimin. He was used to eating so much at meal time that his metabolism ate away at him whenever he went a long time without eating. 

"Okay, Jiminie. I'll close my eyes until you come under the covers," Jungkook's sweet tone met Jimin's ears as he looked at his reflection. He had lost weight and didn't feel comfortable in his own skin, but he hoped it wouldn't matter to Jungkook. 

Jimin turned his head around the corner to spy Jungkook laying on the bed tucked under the pile of blankets with his eyes closed. Jimin softly padded over to the bed and chucked himself under the sheets when he was close enough. The bed shaking alarmed Jungkook, who opened his eyes to see Jimin's head peeking out from covers that were wrapped tighly under his chin. Jungkook smiled at the Stone Prince who eyed him back with wide gray eyes. 

"See? Not a big deal. Are you warm now?" Jungkook was finally warming up in his spot himself.

Jimin turned to face Jungkook and studied the other's facial features. Jungkook was really handsome, "No, I'm still cold."

"Weeeellllll," Jungkook suddenly grabbed Jimin's bare arms and pulled the two together so their bare chests were nearly touching, "How about now?"

Jimin couldn't answer as the other purposely intertwined their legs and put his warm hands on Jimin's cold cheeks. A drip fell from Jimin's wet mop of gray hair onto his nose, but Jungkook was quick to swipe it off with his finger. The intimacy of the skin on skin made Jimin feel...

Weird...

He had never been so close to another human being in his entire life, unless he counted his mother as a child. Jimin finally understood what it meant to interact with someone else he liked and how good it felt to touch someone else...

Jimin began to heat up fast, not only because he was in contact with the warmth of Jungkook's smooth skin, but because he was flustered, happy, and-

"Jiminie?" Jungkook asked after not receiving an answer from the silver-haired male next to him, "You warm?" 

Jimin snapped out of his thoughts and gazed into Jungkook's doe eyes that were right in front of him. His eyes flicked to Jungkook's chapped lips and back up the younger's cheeks to his black hair which cutely framed the side of his face. 

"Yeeaahhhhh," Jimin blushed, snuggling his body closer into Jungkook's, "You're warming me up."

Jungkook leaned in then, pecking Jimin's pink cheek and giving him a smile, "Good. I bet your hands are still freezing though!"

Jimin giggled as Jungkook's fingers trailed along Jimin's bare chest under the covers to locate his hands. Jungkook's large hands grasped Jimin's smaller ones and brought them to the warm skin  above his heart.  Jimin snuggled up to the younger even more, until they were basically one. Jimin loved the contact and couldn't wipe the cheesy smile off of his face. 

"Feel my heart beat?" the Oak Prince asked softly, "Beating strongly for Noirwood, beating strongly for Park Jimin, beating strongly for Kim Taehyung..." Jungkook touched his forehead to Jimin's. Jimin smiled even wider and focused on Jungkook's pulse under his palm, "But Jihoon wants this to stop beating, and he won't stop until it does. Even if that means destroying everything, hurting the people I love, massacring thousands of innocent lives, he will continue to do so until he has me dead...He could care less about Noirwood I think. I think he just wants to see me wriggle under his grasp before he takes the life out of me...y'know?" 

Jungkook's steady heart rate under Jimin's fingers had picked up a bit when he was talking, signaling that the ravenette was getting stressed out. Jimin rubbed the area on Jungkook's chest in circles and brought his lips close enough to Jungkook's so they were only a hair's width away. They breathed each other in and exhaled each other out. Jungkook licked his lips.

"I'll die before I let that happen to you," Jimin whispered, bringing their lips together in a soft kiss. It wasn't as fiery as the last time they had kissed, but the melancholy they felt from the capture of Taehyung and the entanglement of their bodies made the exchange filled with a sweetness that Jimin wanted more of. Kissing the Oak Prince made the butterflies in his stomach fly rapidly around in circles and made the love in his heart-

Wait...

Love?

No no no, he couldn't have fallen in love with someone this fast, right?

But what did Jimin know about love? He had never experienced it before and it was never a central part of his life...

Jungkook broke the kiss and looked into Jimin's pleased gray eyes with gratitude, "You shouldn't die for me, Jimin. If it comes to that, I'll die for you."

Jimin opened his mouth to answer, but found he couldn't as a sudden burst of pain shot through his skull. He clutched onto Jungkook's arm hard and clenched his jaw in agony. His eyes squinted shut and his legs began to shake from the terrible sensation pulsing through his brain. 

To make matters worse, a knock sounded at the door. 

"Mr. uh, Kang Sungwoo? I prepared fresh clothes and have two meals for you out here!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR'S NOTE

The timing of things always sucks, doesn't it?

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the Jikook in this section.

I hate Jihoon. >:(

I'm sooooo excited to write what I have planned though :)

Thank you for reading! :P