@Aamyungv: === x ===...

=== x ===

It starts raining heavily and Jungkook curses.

The prince is right in front of him, their way back to the palace.

Jungkook caught up with him just before he could cross the boarder of the kingdom.

Now he glares at the prince's head while rain pours on them.

Jungkook grabs the rein of the horse and looks around, "we have to stay the night somewhere."

Taehyung does not utter a word.

Jungkook knows an inn, just a few minutes away from where they are.

He reaches around the prince to grab at his jewels, tugging them off the prince.

Taehyung flinches, glares over his shoulder, "what do you think you are doing?!"

Jungkook shoves those jewels in his satchel, "we will stay in that inn. Remember, there are a lot of people there. Some are dangerous robbers and thieves. Do not open your mouth. Okay?"

Taehyung snorts, "more dangerous than you?"

Jungkook glares, "if you want to stay alive, do not open your bloody mouth. Do not test my patience, either. If you were not stupid enough to run, we would not be here!"

Taehyung glares back, "I had to do something to help my family!"

Jungkook snorts, "yes, yes. Did a lot of help there. Anyway, just agree to whatever I say and do not work yourself up. You are a prince, have no idea how these inns work. Keep your mouth shut."

Taehyung ignores him for the rest of the ride.

They walk inside the tavern and Taehyung watches with wide eyes, takes in everything he is presented with.

A boy comes running, reaching for the rein of the horse.

Jungkook jumps off the horse and Taehyung follows.

"Take care of him," Jungkook ruffles the boy's head, giving him a note.

The boy smiles, nods before taking the horse away.

Jungkook holds Taehyung's wrist, "do not do something stupid. Ironic, but I am the only safe place you have here. Okay?"

Taehyung stomps on Jungkook's foot, smirks when the assassin winces, "okay, sire."

Jungkook grabs Taehyung tightly, "behave!"

They walk inside hand in hand.

Jungkook goes to the counter where a man sits, talking to a few villagers, "hello, sir, good evening."

Jungkook bows, "we are coming from the Min kingdom. To attend the celebration of the king's birthday. Got stuck because of the rain. Can we have a room here?"

The man eyes them, a welcoming smile on his lips, "of course, sir. Do you want dinner?"

Taehyung nods, "yes, please."

The man tugs at a string that rings a bell, a girl walks in, "show these gentlemen a room, Hana, they will have dinner."

The girl nods, smiles at them, points at the wooden stairs, "this way, sirs."

Jungkook holds Taehyung's hand, "how do we pay?"

"You pay half right now," he holds out a paper, "and when you leave, you pay for the rest."

Jungkook pulls out his bag of coins and pays the half before tugging Taehyung up the stairs.

The man sitting beside the counter watches them go, "That is prince Taehyung."

The man behind the counter nods, "I know. I know the prince of our kingdom."

The man gets up, comes to lean against the counter, "you are thinking what I am thinking, Choi?"

Choi smirks, "sleeping powder in the food, we steal whatever they have before abducting the prince."

"We can demand huge ransom, Lee," Choi grins, "the king will give anything for his son."

Lee nods, eyes ablaze, "and we will get rid of the man with him."

Choi nods, "tell your boys to get rid of him when we take the prince."

Lee hums, "let's wait for everyone to fall asleep."

Jungkook closes the door after the girl leaves.

Taehyung looks around the room, nose twitching, "is the bed clean?"

Jungkook rolls his eyes, "that man knows you."

Taehyung halts, "what?"

Jungkook sighs, rubs his temple, "I am a fool. I should have hidden your face!"

Taehyung gapes, "now what?"

Jungkook sighs, shrugs out of his coat, "I will see when the time comes. You rest."

Taehyung gapes at him, "what do you mean, I rest? They know me? Are they planning to-"

"The man next to the counter is a bandit. I know him."

"If you knew, then why did you get in here?!" Taehyung flails his arms, "we could have run!"

Jungkook grits his teeth, "how are you a prince with such stupid ideas?! He has his gang, we do not know anything clearly here. They can easily win over us. We cannot let them know!"

Jungkook points at the bed, "just rest. I will get us out of here."

Taehyung stares at him, "they are a gang."

Jungkook goes over to sit by the fireplace, "I am enough on my own. Rest, Taehyung."

Taehyung watches him, "they-"

Jungkook looks up at him, "trust me. Rest."

Taehyung keeps his eyes fixed on the assassin, "can I trust you? Really?"

Jungkook looks back at the fire, pokes at it, "you are my prey, Taehyung," his eyes snap to Taehyung's, "I will never let anyone else get to you. I will make sure to keep you alive as long as I want."

=== 💗 ===

"How long is he going to sit there?" Yoongi mutters to himself, eyes on the prince who is leaning against a pillar and looking out at the path that leads to the locality.

Yoongi bites back a curse when he sees Jimin is not even wearing anything to keep him warm against the snow.

Yoongi knows why Jimin is there. He is waiting for the prince to be back, or at least to have any news back to him.

None of that will happen that night.

"So what?" Yoongi hisses to himself, "is he going to just sit there throughout the night? Like that? Wearing that?!"

Yoongi looks at the moon, watches the snowflakes in the air, slowly cascading down.

"You look like you want to burn the sky or something."

Yoongi curses, looks over his shoulder to see Hoseok leaning against his doorframe, "get out."

Hoseok walks in.

"You smell of vomit," Yoongi's nose twitches, "what-"

Hoseok waves him off, "Hana vomited on me."

Yoongi frowns, "you did not change, and who is Hana now?"

Hoseok comes to lean against the window, a small smile on his lips, "Hana is Seokjin's baby. I named her Hana."

Yoongi watches his friend, "you named her?"

Hoseok nods, "liked this name better. I cannot change every time she vomits. It's water anyway. Just wiped it. Will take a shower and then change. Just came to see how you are doing to see you muttering to yourself."

Yoongi sighs, "nothing. Was just thinking-"

"The princess is coming tomorrow, you are thinking about her, no?" Hoseok's brows lift in a mischievous gesture.

Yoongi looks out to see Jimin has fallen asleep, head tilted in an awkward position.

He frowns.

Right. The princess.

Yoongi turns away from the window, "she is visiting this kingdom to join the king's birthday celebration. Not-"

"So what?" Hoseok's voice is filled with laughter, "she never accompanies her father, you know? This is the first time. Maybe because-"

Yoongi sits on the bed, sighs.

"Don't get too attached to the baby, hoba," his voice drops, soft, understanding, "you will have to leave her. Orphan, alone-"

Hoseok looks at him, face just as tender, "same, Yoongi."

Yoongi frowns, "what?"

Hoseok smiles, looks out of the window, "don't get attached, hyung."

Yoongi watches Hoseok close the window, blowing out the candles before the man looks back at him, "sleep. Good night."

Yoongi watches Hoseok add a few more logs into the fireplace before the man walks out of the room, telling the guards to stay alert as Yoongi sleeps.

Yoongi cannot sleep. His eyes are on the closed window and his ears are taking in the storm that brews outside.

He gets out of the bed to open the window and yes, it is a snowstorm.

He looks down to see Jimin is still there. Either sleeping or unconscious.

"Where are the guards?" Yoongi hisses, "he is the bloody prince! Where are the guards?! How is this place his home when no one came asking where he is!"

He pauses when he realizes no one is going to because everyone knows they are sleeping in Yoongi's room. Jimin is with Yoongi.

He also knows if anyone does, Jimin will just shoo them away. The prince is stubborn that way.

Yoongi lets out a curse before turning away from the window.

He grabs his shawl and walks out of the room to see the guards who bow to him, "don't follow me."

He walks away.

Jimin wakes up when he is jerked upright. His eyes open slowly, brain sluggish.

He looks at Yoongi who is wrapping the shawl around him, a small smile plays on Jimin's lips.

"Yoon," his voice is a whisper, "did I fall asleep reading-" he pauses when the king looks up at him.

The world comes crashing back to him and Jimin is shrugging out of the shawl that smells of Yoongi. He throws the shawl at Yoongi's face with a hiss.

"Go away!" he squirms back, "go away from me!"

Yoongi watches him, face blank, "it is snowing. Get inside."

Jimin glares, "no!"

Yoongi's jaw tightens, "I said, get inside, J-"

Jimin looks away, "no."

Yoongi lets out a breath, "I said," he grasps Jimin's elbow, "get inside, Jimin!"

Jimin shoves him away, "I said, no!"

Yoongi curses, "listen, I do not have time to waste on you. Tomorrow is a big day-"

"I know," Jimin snorts, "heard the princess is coming," his eyes are on the road, knees pulled to his chest, "I heard."

Yoongi watches the prince, watches how those lips are trembling, goosebumps clear on those arms, "good. Now get inside. I do not have time for this."