"Ready?" Jungkook asked as he stood with his back against the wall.

"God you scared me" Jimin gasped with a hand on his heart, surprised to see the Prince emerge from the darkness of that corner he stood in. But even more surprised to set eyes on the black mask he hasn't seen in so long.

"That was not my intention, but I am pleased to know I go unnoticed" Jungkook hummed.

"You're really going to wear that?" The pharmacist asked softly.

"You may be aware of my identity, but anyone who sees us outside these walls must not recognize who I am" he replied and nodded towards the stable, silently asking the other to follow him. They slithered along walls and slipped through the doors as they made their way to the Prince's horse, taking it out of its home and striding it into the warm summer night.

"So, how do we leave without anybody seeing? Ahead of us are the open training grounds with nothing to hide behind" Jimin whispered when they stopped to look out for guards.

"Who said we're going ahead" Jungkook responded, taking his horse left towards the backside of the palace where the gardeners cultivated fruit trees and such. They slalomed around the large trunks and stopped in front of the Boston Ivy covered wall.

"How did Jungil bypass a stride worth of brick and intertwined Ivy?" Jimin asked, doubting the Prince's plans completely.

"He pushed it aside and walked right through" Jungkook scoffed, putting his hand in the Ivy to drag it away, revealing a huge breach in the palace wall. Big enough to fit the horse as well. The other side was covered in Ivy too and Jungkook only had to do the exact same movement to lead them out into the tree-barricaded outside.

"How come nobody saw that breach... it is a serious security problem" Jimin assessed with furrowed eyebrows marking his concerned expression.

"When I broke the wall, which is a story for another day, I made sure it was an area nobody would think to trespass. Between this guard-surveilled perimeter, the Ivy-brick-Ivy, and the constantly-monitored garden, this side of the palace doesn't normally strike as vulnerable, unless you know there's a breach of course. So as long as that's not true the palace is totally safe" Jungkook whispered elaborately.

Suddenly, a yellow light struck the tree bark right beside Jimin's face, making Jungkook pull his pharmacist forcefully back behind the tall bushes.

"What did I say, guard-surveilled" he reminded, peeking through the leaves to see if the guard was still around. "I'm not quite familiar with their rounds at this hour, I generally leave earlier and come back later" Jungkook muttered before walking ahead and leading the way out of the grove.

"Alright we're good to go" he declared, mounting his horse and offering his arm as support for the shorter.

"I can get there on my own" he refuted before struggling for a few seconds to find his seat behind the Prince, earning a light chuckle from the latter.

"So stubborn" Jungkook muttered with a shake of his head, then tapped the side of the horse's neck to start the run. The trip was silent for the most part, aside from Jungkook's occasional grunts to encourage the horse.

"That's where your house is" Jungkook said, pointing towards the few lights downtown as they traveled through the hills.

"Thank you for telling me where I live" Jimin responded.

"And we are not going there tonight" Jungkook added, trying to insinuate that whatever Jimin had to fetch from his shop will have to wait for another day.

"I do know that as well" Jimin sighed, rolling his eyes at the Prince's back.

"Good, straight to the lake and back" he finished, plunging them into silence again until reaching the thick forest and slowing down.

"The last time we were here-" Jungkook started.

"-I'll go down, I want to walk instead" Jimin interrupted, cutting the Pyre's sentence short and hopping off of the animal to stretch his legs a little.

"We're still so far" Jungkook pointed out.

"I'll be fine I used to walk all the way here anyway" he shrugged. The last thing he wanted to do was reminisce those memories with the Prince himself.

"I'll stride by your side then" Jungkook concluded.

"You can go ahead if you want"

"I'm not leaving you behind, the only reason you're here is because I'm supposed to stay by you" Jungkook shook his head, forging a hurt emotion in Jimin's eyes.

We're in the middle of the forest, what is it I can do that will remotely cause him harm. He completely lost his faith in me... the Liquis thought.

"Right" he curtly replied and picked up the pace, trying to reach the water source as soon as possible and escape from the heavy tension in the air.

"Are you that excited to teach me?" Jungkook called, matching his cadence.

"I'm excited to see you fail again your highness" Jimin faked a smile.

"I won't fail this time. I'm sure of it" he nodded to himself, sighing once he noticed the forest opening ahead of them.

"Nature truly is beautiful isn't it?" the Prince asked, stepping down to the ground and dragging his horse beside himself.

"Careful not to set it on fire Crown Prince, your temperature is rising" Jimin pointed out.

"I have it under control sir Park, I am simply full of anticipation" he smiled, making Jimin's heart flutter in his chest. The image in front of him was exactly as that night when he met the masked young man in this same forest, and he didn't know how to deal with the butterflies or his quickening heartbeat.

They arrived to the lake after a couple more minutes of walking, Jungkook took care of tying his horse's reins around a tree trunk and hummed when it was secured properly. He turned around to find Jimin's gaze fixed on the scenery, it looked like he was resting his eyes into the horizon where the water and sky met.

"Alright what now" he announced his presence again and stopped right beside the shorter. "Am I going to do the same thing as earlier?" He asked, looking at Jimin's side profile and taking a moment to witness the beauty of his moonlit face. A few strands of his hair were softly flowing side to side, kept in place only with the thin black scarf loosely hanging on his head.

Is it perhaps the same scarf as that night? 

"Indeed, there is nothing else you can do before learning to feel the flow of water" Jimin nodded, "But before that, there is something I have to do" he announced, walking back into the greenery and crouching to find a light blue flower, freshly bloomed in the midnight moon. He picked a few under Jungkook's gaze and packed them in a leather pocket he had attached to the horse's saddle.

"That's... the midnight bud" Jungkook muttered defeatedly.

"I'm surprised you know its name Crown Prince" Jimin hummed impressed.

"It's what you needed to bring sir Lee, I heard you talk about it earlier at the shed" Jungkook pointed accusingly, feeling as though he's been played again. He didn't like the idea of Jimin doing the man this big favor. In fact, he agreed to sneak out only because they weren't stopping by the Park pharmacy but here they were, doing exactly what Jimin wanted all along.

"Since when do you eavesdrop on my conversations Crown Prince?" Jimin asked authoritatively with his hands on his hips.

"It wasn't on purpose... Not at first I mean, but I did continue listening I admit" Jungkook said, though not wavering from his position. "The point is you still used me to do something for him" he added.

"Is it of any importance now?" Jimin asked, amused with the Prince's reaction.

"It very much is, you had to get out of your way and put yourself in danger, all to procure him with an item. It is indeed my place to investigate your dedication" he nodded, satisfied with his reply.

"If I understand correctly, you're curious as to what I am gaining in return" Jimin stalled.

"Would you give me my answer?"

"I wonder what will frustrate you most... That I am doing this because I want his good will and sentiment, or that I'm doing it even though I'm not gaining anything at all, but only wishing to gratify him" Jimin slyly replied looking up at the Prince. Fully taking notice of his jaws clenching, and only imagining the movement of his temples since they were hidden behind that black mask.

"I guess it's only a close difference" Jimin smirked.

"What frustrates me most is that you sabotaged my training to force our outing" Jungkook refused to give him the satisfaction of admitting that truth.

"I didn't have to, you were terrible on your own" Jimin shook his head.

"Well then why don't you let those flowers down and prioritize my learning" Jungkook demanded, crossing his arms against his chest.

"Since when does that come before my pharmaceutical activities..." Jimin continued aggravating the Pyre, feeling the heat from his body and ignoring it. He was having a bit too much of a good time.

"If you insist on doing this, then I would like for you to make me the exact same product you're making sir Lee" . He would be damned before the royal pharmacist became more special than him in the eyes of the Liquis. If Jimin wanted to pick that flower so badly, he was going to pick some for him as well.

"Are you sure?" Jimin giggled, quite endeared with the Prince's tantrum.

"I...uh-huh" he nodded, unsure.

"Because this is quite a feminine scent you'll be going for" Jimin informed, standing up and walking towards the Prince who was too confused to speak.

"I wasn't aware sir Lee preferred feminine scents..." he muttered, his words dying in his throat when Jimin stopped a few inches away from him.

The Liquis was amused with this sudden fit, he wasn't expecting such behavior from someone as proud as the Pyre but he would be lying to say he didn't revel in it. His face sported a soft smile and fond eyes as he looked at the taller's.

He reached with both hands and brushed the few loose black strands falling over Jungkook's covered forehead backwards, carding through the locks until reaching the leather string knit at the back of his head. The last time he tried to do this he was so eager, some things don't change even if he knows what's hiding behind it.

Jungkook did nothing but look into the shorter's eyes as he stood so close, too close. Accessible for all of his fantasies to come to life, maybe a caress, an embrace, perhaps even a kiss. He felt the soft fingers in his hair and closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the gesture of affection fully.

"I never liked this mask" Jimin softly whispered while his fingers tugged at the string and undid the knot, letting the mask drop loose then holding it with his other hand. He pulled it down and discarded it on the grass. Turning back to the taller, he found his gaze fixed on the item still, almost as though embarrassed.

"The entire point of removing it was to look into your eyes properly" Jimin softly chuckled, compelling the Pyre to witness the smile on his face, though not yet saying anything in response.

"That day, when I said part of my heart feels for you, never did I mean that the rest of it felt for another man" he reassured, not engaging in other physical contact and relying on his eyes to convey the candor of his words.

"It's just that sir Lee is... nice and smart, right up your alley because of your shared interest, I thought maybe--forget it" Jungkook shook his head looking away again.

"Now that you mention it, he is quite admirable maybe I should just ask him to share a drink someday-" Jimin started, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Hey" Jungkook interrupted with furrowed eyebrows, clearly displeased with the comment.

"Jealousy is a disease Crown Prince" Jimin giggled.

"You can't blame me for having such thoughts, you did the most to get this flower for him... I almost believed you like men with a feminine scent" he huffed.

"I don't care what kind of scent a man wears as long as it's pleasing to the nose" Jimin shrugged.

"So even feminine scents have a chance?" Jungkook asked skeptically.

"Good lord Jungkook, sir Lee is married and expecting a child. The fragrance I'm making is for his wife let it go already" Jimin rolled his eyes, sending a wave of relief through Jungkook's system.

"Why didn't you say that ages ago?" He huffed.

"Because you were convinced it was for him and it was funny watching you fumble over yourself" Jimin giggled.

"That's mean of you sir Park, wicked" Jungkook shook his head in disapproval.

"You'll get over it" the other replied.

"So you didn't sabotage my training and I really was that bad" he remembered, scoffing in disappointment.

"I didn't sabotage you, but I didn't really teach you correctly either" Jimin admitted with pursed lips, the indicators of utter deceit obvious on the Prince's face.

"Jimin..."

"I mean, I couldn't have you succeed and miss this escapade" Jimin said, emphasizing the last word to distract him from what he did.

"Nice try, but you did something wrong and now you owe me an actual escapade" Jungkook smirked.

"Says who?" The silver-haired denied.

"Lucky for me, I make the rules" he sighed triumphantly and looked at the wide lake, ignoring his pharmacist's incredulous huffs. "Now that that's settled, how about you teach me correctly" 

Jimin narrowed his eyes at the Prince's face and clicked his tongue before reattaching the leather pocket to the horse's saddle, now full of freshly plucked midnight buds.

"What are you waiting for, jump in" Jimin said when he saw Jungkook standing idle.

"What do you mean"

"When I said you need a large body of water around you, I literally meant around you Crown Prince" he informed, leaning on the tree trunk.

"You could've told me to bring a change of clothes... I'll probably set these on fire if I try to dry them" Jungkook pointed at his attire.

"You can't dry your own clothes?" Jimin scrunched his face judgementally. 

"It requires too little heat. I never had to use my fire other than for fighting aggressively and I'm generally not on laundry duty during war" he shrugged.

"Right. Besides, am I a joke to you? I can literally control water and you're worried about wet clothes?" Jimin giggled.

"Oh"

"You should probably take off the outer piece, long fabric isn't the most comfortable under water" Jimin pointed out, removing his own cloak and scarf, earning a confused looked from the taller.

"Do you fancy yourself a midnight swim perhaps?" He asked.

"The reason why you've been failing since sunset is because I showed you what the flow looked like, but not what it felt like" Jimin responded, taking his boots off and stepping into the lake. Quickly reaching a deeper area, he dipped into the cold water and swam to the center, then began using his element to float himself without moving.

"Join me" the Liquis invited, emerging from the water with his wet silver hair slicked back and ice blue eyes piercing through space. It was captivating, mesmerizing, it left the Pyre no choice but to walk closer, almost hypnotized by the the view ahead of him.

He didn't care that the water was cold, in fact he didn't even notice as his mind was full of words of praise for the pharmacist. He was shoulders deep into the lake yet multiple strides away from Jimin when the latter disappeared under water to meet him where he stood.

"I was coming to you" that was the only coherent sentence in his mind.

"That area is deep, swimming would've used all your focus" Jimin informed. Reaching for Jungkook's arms and guiding his hands to grab his own.

"How are you feeling" Jimin asked as he held the bigger hands under water.

"Good, cold but good" he muttered, not able to look away from the glowing blue eyes.

"Alright. You can't really see the movement in the water since it's so dark, but you've seen it already" Jimin started, waiting for a nod from the Prince. "Now I want you to close your eyes and feel the water as I move its flow" he explained, earning another nod.

Ribbons, swirling around my hands and body. The water feels like flowing silk against my skin... Oh, Jimin's hands are warm, warmer than the water. I'm holding them yet it feels as though they are roaming around me, they replace the ribbons and soothe my skin as they move... Is this what water really feels like, a warm touch from the heart's beloved.

"You did it" he heard Jimin's voice, pulling him from his trance and opening his eyes to see the shorter's surprised expression.

"Did what" he asked, quickly noticing the new light brightening up the space. It came from his face, the symbol across the right side of it to be precise.

"The symbol appears when you're using an element that isn't yours. You've used water Jungkook" Jimin announced, still not looking away.

"I didn't realize..."

"I wanted to see you with blue eyes like mine, but red isn't too bad either" Jimin smiled, slowly reaching up with his fingers to touch the glowing lines.

"Don't-" Jungkook warned.

They burned, they were flaring hot making Jimin retract his hand in reflex, putting it in the water as he hissed.

"It happened to me the first time as well, are you okay?" Jungkook asked, trying to see the damage on his fingertips and finding it minimal.

"It doesn't hurt anymore" Jimin confirmed. "How about you?"

"I don't feel the symbol at all until I try to touch it" he informed.

"Good news is, you succeeded for the first time. What did you think of?" The Liquis asked, taking Jungkook by surprise.

"Hmm?"

"To move the flow of water, you should understand what it is and what it means to you. So? What did it remind you of?" He inquired again.

"Oh" he acknowledged. You, "Ribbons, silk ribbons" he lied.

"Interesting, I haven't thought about it in a while since it's become natural to me, but I think it first reminded me of my mother's soft brown hair, it felt smooth like that, I don't know" he giggled, letting go from Jungkook hand and moving away.

"Alright, you keep practicing, it should start happening quicker the more you do it... I'll be out there on the lookout, your symbol is too apparent and it's too hot to cover with anything so I'll make sure nobody sees it" Jimin announced, getting out of the lake.

"Okay..." Jungkook simply muttered looking back at the water and closed his eyes to focus. It was definitely harder now that he didn't have Jimin close to remind him of the feeling, but he eventually did it after a good half hour.

He continued practicing for what felt like forever, at some point he started feeling dizzy and decided he will call it a wrap. He walked out of the lake as well, dripping his way to the pharmacist who was laying on the grass with his eyes closed.

"So much for keeping watch on strangers" Jungkook muttered, choosing to be obnoxious and ruffling his sleeves on top of the other's face.

"I am keeping watch, do you really have to be so childish though" Jimin clicked his tongue while his blue eyes narrowed at the standing boy, the droplets from the Pyre's clothes were left floating in the air, not once hitting Jimin as opposed to what Jungkook had wished.

"No fun.." he muttered, feeling the fabric lighten and his temperature rise again from the dryness of his skin.

"I missed the warmth" he added, igniting a few flames and playing with them for a bit.

"You've made some progress you know? I didn't expect you to succeed this fast, I thought you would require my presence much longer than you did" Jimin admitted as he laid again, looking up at the night sky.

"Mind if I lay next to you?" he asked.

"Not at all" Jimin replied.

"That was so hard for me to do, I even got a headache in the end" Jungkook clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, this was the easiest thing and he was having a really tough time with it.

"Well water is the one complementary element with fire, it is opposite of your nature so it is bound to be more challenging than the others. Don't fret too soon" Jimin reassured, turning his head to look at the Prince's side profile.

"That's good to know, does that mean it would be equally as hard for you to learn fire?" He asked in return.

"Indeed, if I was the Allura, my Pyre side would be the hardest to develop... our elements are not compatible at all" he shrugged.

"Would you have liked to be the Allura instead?"

Jimin did talk to him about elemental magic and such but never really gave his stance on whatever creature he became. He knew a lot about his phenomenon but was he truly fine with it or was he doing this because he threatened him and his sister the first time.

"My father wanted to be. He used to tell me that whoever was blessed with this power had the chance to make the world a better place, and he wanted to make a difference like that. He didn't care that it was dangerous which I never really understood. Then again, he wanted to go to war as opposed to what I thought" he softly elaborated, his eyebrows knit to mark his troubled emotions.

"He had this vision, where a world with magic can thrive brighter than the one we live in. He was convinced that someone had to make the sacrifice and be what everyone needed them to be, even if they disagreed, blinded by the words of the ones who feared higher power" he stated.

"I have yet to know more about what I can benefit the world, but I do agree with your father, people will not follow the unknown until it proves itself to be absolute good for them" he nodded.

"To answer your question, maybe I would've liked to be the Allura, just to try and fulfill my father's wishes... But now that I've started this journey with you, I realized it's not quite for me. I have no interest in making myself an enemy of the world nor do I strive to risk my life for wisdom I may never achieve" he shook his head, earning a huff from the taller.

"When you say it like that, even I don't want to be one anymore" he grumbled.

"It takes a gutsy person to do what you're doing if I'm honest. It is reckless to pursue this life right now, but the fact that you are putting your faith in this promised balance despite everything there is at stake for you... it's..." Jimin stopped to think of the right word, there were actually many in his mind but he wanted to choose the perfect one.

"Heroic? Gallant?" he asked, "Charming?" He added with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows and a coy smile on his lips, earning a snort from the Liquis.

"Admirable is what I was going to say" he corrected.

"Good, that's one point each for me and sir Lee" he hummed, satisfied that Jimin used the same adjective for the both of them.

"Poor sir Lee, let him breathe" Jimin giggled.

"I was probably harsh on him earlier wasn't I..." he wondered out loud, a small guilty smile on his face.

"Maybe a little"

"About that, I have to tell you something actually"

"What is it?" Jimin asked, curiously looking over to the Prince for him to do the same.

"I didn't eavesdrop. I mean I did, but not the ear-against-door type of eavesdropping" he started.

"I don't understand"

"You know how I am now part Liquis?"

"Mhm"

"Well I am also part Thera and part Val ...and Vals have over-developed hearing" he announced.

"So that one time you asked me to play that game with you it wasn't actually a game" Jimin claimed, sitting up straight to process this information more seriously.

"No"

"And you heard everything I said"

"Yes"

"That's some invasion of privacy right there" he gasped.

"No it's not, I warned you"

"I didn't believe you" Jimin countered as if it was so obvious.

"Well that's on you" Jungkook chuckled.

"But wait, I was inside your office... You're not supposed to hear beyond those walls" Jimin laid back down as he voiced out his confusion.

"Indeed, I was surprised myself. Maybe the rules change for Alluras, perhaps my hearing is stronger than regular Vals, I can't tell" He shrugged.

"This reminds me that I have to tell you something too" Jimin stated.

"What did you do" Jungkook narrowed his eyes at the silver-haired. Jimin was smart and mischievous above all, so the Prince has now become a bit weary whenever he had to confess something, he could never guess what it would be.

"It's nothing bad... I hope" he wondered.

"Well then?"

"You actually did choose your guide" Jimin announced, his lips pursed into a thin smile.

"Oh. Are you sure?" one of Jungkook's eyebrows was raised in suspicion.

"Yes. My final guesses were Kyungsoo and your father the King" he informed.

"Final guesses? How long have you known about this?" The Prince asked.

"I found out around a month ago... right after leaving your office that day" Jimin softly added the last part, not wanting to remind himself or the other of that moment.

"Who told you?"

"Well I was looking at this one flower in the palace gardens, it was out of place, then someone said something that made me realize its nature... it was the Guide's flower" he started.

"Who said what?" Jungkook repeated, curious about who this other person was since it meant they might know more.

"I'm afraid I cannot tell until I'm sure of their position towards this matter" Jimin denied.

"Alright but what does this flower mean?"

"That flower is supposed to inform the guide that you are in danger. If you and your guide are apart, the flower can appear to tell them that something might have happened to you, legend says it even leads them to you but nobody really knows" He explained.

"That is not the most efficient alert but it's better than nothing" Jungkook scoffed.

"I agree. I suspect it had been appearing in the palace because I was feeding you poison... Have you ever seen it? It's bright white with a twisted yellow center" Jimin asked, bringing a bent arm under his head for support.

"Maybe... Actually I think I did, I was taking a bath before that breakfast" Jungkook mentioned, emphasizing the exact day.

"Right"

"And there were so many white flowers in my bathing room. It's funny because I thought they smelled like you" Jungkook admitted mindlessly, realizing it might've sounded disturbing when he noted Jimin's surprised expression. "I didn't mean to sound strange, I don't know what you smell like" he denied unconvincingly.

The pharmacist didn't care that he said that, not for the reasons Jungkook felt awkward about. He remembered what Namjoon said that day 'these flowers have a particular smell that I couldn't quite put a finger on until now', and recalled the things he knew about the plant.

"Maybe the flower is supposed to tell you who's putting you in danger" Jungkook stammered.

It tells you who your guide is, Jimin concluded. But that can't be, why would Jungkook choose me, I've done nothing but hurt him. He wondered.

"Or mayb-" Jungkook halted his words when a loud sound invaded his ears, Jimin's pounding heart to be more specific.

"Are you okay?" He asked, turning on his side to give him his undivided attention.

"...Yes, why?" Jimin cleared his throat, not wanting to face the Prince and keeping his eyes on the stars.

"Your heart Jimin" Jungkook simply replied. "I didn't mean to listen, it just-"

"It's a Liquis thing" he lied, but this time there was an unspoken agreement not to talk about it.

"Sure... I wouldn't want Kyungsoo to be my guide honestly, I don't want to drag him into this. My father is a better pick, I see why the Allura in me would choose him, but he is King and any association with Magic would cost him all that he's worked so hard to build" Jungkook commented, thinking about his family and friends, trying to guess the right person.

"I just hope I've chosen wisely" Jungkook shrugs, "It could even be you for all I know" he added light-heartedly.

"Why me. It would be the stupidest pick" Jimin didn't waste a second to counter.

"Are you calling the Crown Prince stupid sir Park?" Jungkook raised his eyebrows incredulously.

"I'm calling the Allura stupid" he responded.

"I don't agree with you"

"The guide is supposed to protect you, do you see what's wrong here?" He asked.

"Okay besides the part where you tried to kill me, I think you've done your fair share of protecting" Jungkook suggested.

"It's like saying that besides the part where my father died, I think he's still alive" Jimin huffed in exasperation.

"You've helped me plenty though, in a lot of ways... I don't know how the guide is chosen but it's probably in the ways that actually matter" Jungkook's mind remained unchanged.

"You can't choose me Jungkook, you can't put that much faith in me" Jimin sighed.

I was hurt because of him not having enough faith in me and now I'm complaining because he does, Jimin silently thought.

"Why not. You keep saying you won't betray me and now you're implying the opposite. Should I or should I not trust you Jimin?" Jungkook asked, propping himself on his elbow to properly look at the Liquis. Treating the conversation with all due seriousness.

"I won't betray you, but you are going from all-day surveillance to trusting me with your life. That's a bit too much pressure don't you think?" Jimin said, finally detaching his eyes from the sky and meeting the Pyre's.

"What do you mean... this is hypothetical, isn't it?"

Jimin's silence said it all. He didn't want to lie or hide, Jungkook needed to know so that his expectations lower again. Jimin wasn't someone to hand his fate to, not when he's been bad news from the start, it's only smart.

"You are my guide" he breathed.

"Unfortunately for you"

"So I did choose wisely" he added, earning Jimin's outraged expression.

"Have you been listening to me?"

"I don't care about what you said Jimin, there's no one else I'd rather pick" he sighed, relief flooding his senses.

"What if I don't want to be? Have you ever thought about that?" He huffed.

"Be my guest and take it to the courthouse. Lucky for me the Guide's consent was never mentioned anywhere" he shrugged, not weighing the situation properly. He never desperately needed the Guide's help so far, so he thought the title was but an accessory, God forbid he is proven awfully wrong one day.

"Speaking of consent... I would like to express my apologies" Jungkook mentioned.

"What for?" Jimin asked, what did Jungkook do other than ruin his own chances as an Allura.

"That day, I forced my hands onto you. My head was in the wrong place and I shouldn't have put you in a situation to feel guilty about refusing me" he admitted, "I didn't deprive you of your freedom to get back at you, and it pained me to see you blaming yourself for me abusing my power" he honestly apologized.

"I would rather you did that to get back at me than simply because you couldn't trust me" Jimin chuckled humorlessly.

"It's only temporary" he replied. He couldn't tell Jimin about Sunmi's death threats, he would hate for him to grow paranoid or even so much as feel threatened in Jungkook's home.

"We don't know that" Jimin sighed, not talking for himself only but for the both of them. His eyes full of disappointment and false hope, tying a knot of concern between Jungkook's eyebrows as he look down at him.

"We will get through this if you want us to" Jungkook promised.

"Again, please make no promises you can't keep" Jimin smiled tightly, there was no need to heighten the hopes only for them to collapse harder.

I found my peace in feeling for you without taking it a step further, it's only fair considering what I put you through, so why are you doing the most to disturb that stagnating water... Jimin wondered as he roamed his eyes on Jungkook's features.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because in the back of your mind, I will always be the person who tried to kill you. I don't think trust is easily recoverable from that, it shouldn't be" Jimin easily replied, it made the most sense to him.

"Maybe I do need a bit of time before fully letting you in again, but I know I can. Remember when I told you I trust easily? I don't think that's ever going to change..." Jungkook asserted.

"I don't understand how you can truly believe that"

"I have the Liquis piece that you're missing, and you have the Pyre piece that I am" Jungkook fondly replied, sitting up and putting his left hand on the grass past Jimin's waist such that he was looking down at him.

"I just..." Jimin started, moving his bent arm from under his head and dropping it softly on his stomach, then making eye contact with the Pyre. "I just don't want to disappoint you. You've been giving me everything without taking anything in return, kind all the time even when I didn't deserve it... I'm afraid I will let you down again so I don't want you to rely on me my Prince" he replied, a single tear sliding down the side of his face and disappearing in his hair.

Jungkook's heart filled at the revelation. For the past month, his thoughts were filled of Jimin's rejection and what he will do to move on from him, he knew it was going to be hard but he tried and failed. Then, Jimin came back after so long to tell him he feels for him as well, leaving him confused and skeptical. Was it a new wretched plan? Was it the truth?

Now he knew, he can see it in his eyes. Jimin was an extremely proud person, he even refused to avoid punishment for attempting murder on a royal because he mistook mercy for pity. He would never admit such thoughts if they weren't genuine.

"Jimin" he softly called, reaching with his right hand to brush through the other's silver locks, looking intently into his brown eyes in search for the right thing to say.

Jimin remained silent, anticipating the taller's response as he played with his hair, running his mind over the possibilities of what it could be. I can see a few specs of gold in his irises, did I upset him? His touch is so gentle though, his face is relaxed, why isn't he saying anything...

In fact the Prince didn't find the right thing to say, so he did the only thing on his mind at that moment and brought his face lower, bending his arm to support himself on his elbow instead and gently pushing his lips against Jimin's. It was soft and honest, they both secretly yearned for it and when it happened it conveyed all the unspoken words in their minds.

"I'm sorry" Jungkook whispered after slightly pulling away, not lasting another second before meeting their lips again. His senses were overwhelmed, his chest on fire, and mind blank. What were thoughts? he had none except the recurring urge to kiss him again.

"I'm sorry I..." he started again after pulling away a second time, "I apologized for forcing my hands onto you yet I can't stop kissing you" his breath fanned onto Jimin's plush lips. Oh how inviting they looked, so pretty as he pecked them one last time. 

He needed to physically remove himself from the pharmacist's space not to relapse into his sweetness, and it took all his self-control to do so. Jimin's silence didn't necessarily mean consent, and there he was abusing the intimacy of their conversation and the Liquis's vulnerability to just do what he wanted. Certainly, he was a Pyre and levelled thinking was never his favorite, he just hoped he didn't ruin anything with his premature actions.

Jimin's eyes fluttered open when he no longer felt the Prince close, only to see his bulging temples and distracted gaze. He propped himself on his elbows to get a closer look and softly smiled. Jungkook looked like he regretted this kiss but not for the wrong reasons, which made him all the more charming.

"I'm sorry, again, although I doubt that means anything at this point... I just couldn't express what I felt with words" Jungkook claimed, not daring to look at the shorter who was so near, afraid to see his offended expression.

"Jungkook, breathe" Jimin whispered, his voice laced with reassurance and a silent promise that it was okay. Finally giving the Prince the courage to meet his eyes again, finding them just as warm as before.

"Are you not upset?" He genuinely questioned.

"It might have been a little too soon, but I didn't hate it" he smiled, earning a sigh of relief from the Prince.

"Noted" he hummed down to him, pausing for a few seconds as he thought about his next words. "Would you... Would you do me the pleasure of laying in my arms the way you did that night?" He asked, unsure whether it was also too soon or not.

"The pleasure would be mine" Jimin softly responded, following Jungkook down to where he laid back and resting his head on his shoulder.

"Tonight might just have made me the happiest I've been in years" Jungkook admitted, soothingly brushing through Jimin's hair with his fingers while the other closed his eyes to fully live the moment.

"I do have that effect on people" Jimin smugly replied, feeling the vibrations of Jungkook's chuckle.

"You know, I didn't want to tell you this earlier because I thought it would make you feel uncomfortable but... remember when you said that lady was looking at you differently?" He asked and heard a hum in return.

"She's not going to be the last and I'm sure you've noticed. It's because Queen Sunmi had some fun telling people that I am courting you" He announced casually, too casually for Jimin's taste, who raised himself up to look at the Prince with a shocked expression.

"Why wouldn't you tell me this?" He complained.

"Well, I didn't know you wanted us to try this-"

"I didn't"

"-so, wait what?"

"I didn't want to, but I'm more open to it now" Jimin corrected.

"What a kiss from Jeon Jungkook can do" he boasted.

"Stop you're embarrassing" Jimin whined, making him giggle.

"Anyway, so I thought you would start feeling awkward when we're together considering how people think of us" he explained.

"And you think that changed?" Jimin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"...Maybe? I hope?" Jungkook said, making Jimin sigh and lay back on his shoulder, taking a few moments before speaking.

"How did Queen Sunmi know?"

"Some of her loyal court ladies told her about the Hanfu I gifted you, maybe even overheard our conversation that evening before... you know" the Prince replied, not wanting to mention the rest again.

"Does his majesty the King know?"

"Indeed, we had a whole discussion about it this morning... It was honestly quite unexpected of him to treat the topic that way, it was a side of father I had never seen yet" Jungkook softly smiled, thinking about the heartwarming moment.

"Oh God, how will I look at him in the eye again" Jimin complained in embarrassment.

"Lucky for you, he is the King, so you don't always have to do that" Jungkook joked.

"At least now I don't have to worry about people thinking we were being intimate whenever we locked ourselves in your office. Courting particularly excludes such things" Jimin muttered.

"Clearly you haven't been courted by me" Jungkook smirked and earned a soft punch in the stomach, making him groan in pain.

"It is a golden rule, how could you break it?" He scolded, taking the matter at heart because his sister was currently being courted, and he would be extremely disappointed with Woobin doing the same.

"It was a joke, I've never courted anybody" Jungkook disclaimed, bending an arm under his head for support as he looked at the Liquis's knit eyebrows, which were slowly relaxing with the passing second.

"Your jokes are terrible"

"Or maybe I smelled some jealousy"

"Always with your wishful thinking"

"You were upset that I might have broken that rule while courting someone else, just admit it"

"Not at all"

"So you're fine with me courting someone else"

"Have at it"

"But I only want to court you"

"And I don't want you to"

"Here I thought we would be ready for marriage in a few months"

"I'm never marrying you"

"You said you'll never return my feelings yet here we are"

"In your dreams"

"Only mine?" Jungkook smirked, amused with the exchange while Jimin drowned in his own blush with each line he said. He was so easy to tease and the fact that he's shy about this only makes it more endearing.

"Look it's dawn already, have we really been here that long?" Jimin switched topics, pushing himself away and fetching his scarf. Jungkook decided not to pry deeper and simply watched as Jimin pulled it over his hair, leaving the ends untied.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"I think we should probably return, no?" the pharmacist asked and he shook his head.

"We could do that and struggle our way in, or we could wait until the night guards finish their shifts and walk through the front gate with nobody suspecting us" he elaborated.

"That is a better idea" Jimin nodded.

"Well then, I'll be in the water practicing again. You can get a shut eye for the night" Jungkook announced, standing up and walking straight into the lake again. He was satisfied with all that happened, and maybe it would only get better from here. Is life finally smiling at him? He couldn't wait to see, but for now, he had to put the Crown Prince's feelings aside and tackle his newer identity.

If the Allura was meant to bring balance and peace, he should make sure he could do it to protect his bright-looking future.

---

The chapters are only getting longer huh? Good luck to everyone who's on finals week!

On another note, the Prince and his pharmacist finally kissed, are we excited?

Do comment your thoughts about this chapter though I would love to hear them as usual.

-Aida-