Jungkook was employed to be around his beloved. Emphasis on 'was'.

His job profile is literally to stand beside taehyung for (generally) more than half the day. He got used to it, okay? Taehyung might have spoiled him and his a wolf a little bit, but hey, today he decided he would not. Jungkook isn't happy. He hasn't been anywhere within 5 horses distance from taehyung since this morning.

So what if they cuddled all night, did taehyung think that's enough? Does he not want him anymore? Is he already tired?

You see, there is a need now, a little petty even to Jungkook, but it's a need nevertheless to just, always and only be inches away from taehyung. Brushing hands when no one's looking. Sharing smiles that means different things every time. A secret language of sorts.

Jungkook got confessed last night and he hasn't set a toe on the ground yet. Which also meant, he is dragging taehyung with him to every cloud he merrily jumps across.

Unfortunately, the elder is also a king having chores apart from jumping clouds with Jungkook. He hasn't once looked his way, bothered any much to link him since his absence at the ceremonial breakfast table, and essentially forgot Jungkook.

The alpha could almost orate taehyung's schedule for today backwards, but the king has been everywhere in those schedules and others, never once trying to keep Jungkook beside him in atleast half of them. He just asked for a half of them!

Now he is running errands, errands anyone could've ran, but taehyung had asked them to. Them, Him and Min hyung. They were thrown out of border control (where his mate's ignorance would've been lesser of a bother) because Ryejin said 'wook and me are good, we don't need an extra pair of monkey hands'

"If you stare any longer, you'll be driving daggers into his head," Min hyung commented from behind him. Needless to say the alpha has been the devil on his shoulder, quite literally because the palace stable is busy and they were both driven away from security with this single lazy horse for running errands.

A whiny Min hyung complained all the way back about Ryejin deserting him for the sake of a ceremony. He listened to Min hyung because, else Min hyung would make you listen to him. While both were equally bad, the former scenario meant saving his head from a painful smack.

Taehyung stood on the other end of the palace, farthest from its exit where he stood. But not too far to never lift his head and look his way once. They were only a few cattles, some soldiers and one little patch of garden away, how hard could it be.

"So busy," he mumbled under his breath. Min hyung slapped a loud palm to his own forehead (the sound is just too familiar now) and then one on the back of Jungkook's. What was all the listening he did for?

"Stupid! You guys are a whole crowd away, he's probably looking for you too!"

Jungkook gauged the distance between them again, palm nursing the sting from the smack. "It's not much, I can still see him" he pouted.

"hyuk, I don't really think-"

"hyuk!" One of the gardeners came hopping, breathless. "His majesty asked for-" She took a pause to catch her breath. Jungkook slapped a palm to min's thigh, almost proudly showing off their mate bond. Taehyung must've caught onto his thoughts-

"he asked if you guys could just check on the temple preparations-" His chest slumped, Min hyung muffled a loud chuckle. "It's almost time for the ceremonies to begi-"

"Tell your majesty his special commander addresses deep resentment towards his care for his subjects," She looked at him like he had betrayed the whole country. "And that he better eat his breakfast before I come back from 'checking' on the temple preparations"

She nodded confusedly before leaving a very loud Min hyung laughing against his ear. "You really need to choose if you're mad at him or concerned"

He turned the horse back around, guiding it towards the palace exit and subsequently the same path they just came back from. Given how lazy the horse was, he wouldn't be surprised if it didn't budge for another trip to the temple.

"Well, he hasn't eaten his breakfast," he shrugged as if it didn't prod him all morning after he didn't see the king at the breakfast table. Ceremonies meant the king had breakfast with them at their quarters, or sometimes the palace. However today, Jungkook and his closest seat in the table (he reserved for Taehyung) were left waiting and waiting.

"He left me alone at the breakfast table too," he complained, almost feeling five. Their ride slowed down, low on spirits like it's rider.

Min hyung patted against his shoulder, a solemn nod he didn't need to turn to know it came with. "I understand, but taehyung always gets this busy on the last day"

Jungkook's pout deepened, ride slowing down further. "You can't really blame him-"

"I can"

Min hyung paused, tongue rolling back the remaining sentence.

"Well, I tried saving his ass," he shrugged, clapping his hands, "you think that counts?"

Their ride was almost as slow as a walk now. Taehyung would be really mad if he got to know, but he won't, because of course he doesn't have time even to see if his lover is still alive.

The rest of the ride until the temple gates was pretty silent, or atleast Jungkook thinks so. Min hyung could've been yapping away about taehyung's workload today but he didn't hear much, thoughts preoccupied elsewhere. He just wanted one passing glance from taehyung, just one that meant he was looking for him. Was he busy much even for that?

They both got off their ride, Min hyung walking up and leaving his footwear near the gates while he tied the horse to the nearest tree. By the time he had followed after Min, the priest was having a chat with the elder. Jung hyuk decided he would go check the ground behind the temple meanwhile.

There was already a crowd forming. Judging from sun's position, it must definitely be past noon. The ceremony is to begin in a few hours then, almost as soon as the sun reaches the hill peak, he nodded to himself.

Min hyung, appearing from behind him, threw an arm around his shoulder. They both looked around the ground, the ceremony preparations in full swing. Shops, kids, games, you name it.

"taehyung's not an asshole, okay?" The elder broke the noisy silence between them. Jungkook shot him a look, "I know"

"He just gets so into his head, trying to make things right-like perfect, he kinda forgets the rest-"

"hyung," he smiled, turned to face the elder and leant against the nearest pillar in the process. "I know all this. I know him"

Min's lips curved into a smirk. Jungkook shook his head. "Its just-" how to tell they're fated mates without saying they're fated mates, "it's uhh it's I'm-"

"I understand," Min shook his head. He is always this bouncing ball of joy, locks dancing with his head, "You don't need to explain. Take care of him, kay? He's a nice guy, he just forgets how to show all that niceness sometimes"

Jungkook nodded, and looked out into the ground again. A few kids had started a game of tag. Min hyung ushered him back to their ride, chanting a mantra of taehyung would be mad. Jungkook smiled and shook his head, everyone feared his little omega.

Back at the palace, Jungkook decided he won't be sitting around and walked determinedly towards where Taehyung should be. In his chambers, having a good meal.

The elder was nowhere to be found in his chambers and Jungkook had had enough. He walked back, red curtains and windows. The guards shook their head, they don't know.

He walked past the gardens, the workers delightedly chatted between themselves. Taehyung always gave the best celebrations. When are you going to the temple? What time does the ceremony start? All mundane matters, nothing about taehyung.

He half walked half ran to the courtroom, still no taehyung. Jungkook decided he won't look for Taehyung, now if the elder eats or doesn't eat-

hyuk, I ate.

Jungkook halted in his feet. Did taehyung just-

yes, I did.

Jungkook guessed the smile as the half fond and half teasing one. His neck grew warm.

You ignored me all day, why talk now?

He resumed his walk, pretty sure he was pouting.

Stop pouting, someone might come and kiss it away

Jungkook grew warm, held back a love sick grin.

Only you do. You don't need to worry about-

A hand around his waist and just as he turned, a pair of lips on his. He melted against himself. When they parted, which wasn't too long because it was only supposed to be a peck, Taehyung looked at him right in the eye and said, "told ya, someone might come kiss it away"

Jungkook barely held back the smile on his lips, quickly turning away to look at.. look at the...look at the curtains! Yes, the curtains.

The elder unlocked his arms and came to stand before him, hindering his line of vision. Now it wasn't the curtains in his vision, it was an arrogant tuft of hair straying away from taehyung's neatly parted hair.

Jungkook looked away, atleast tried to, before taehyung was gently tugging his jaw, warm callous palms cajoling him to look his way.

"Taehyung-" a finger to his lips.

"'m sorry," It didn't help his eyes blew up into sizes of marbles, forcing the alpha to look no other way than the sunlight reflecting off of them. "I was busy"

He pouted, folding his palms. "Well, you always are. No time for commoners like-"

"Special commanders get special treatments like-" He pulled him by his shirt and locked their lips. Partially the reason why Jungkook hasn't set a toe on the ground after being confessed to, is because Taehyung loves in ways that won't let him to. "And this" He dragged him across the halls, hand connected to his.

They walked until courtroom and surprisingly the room was empty. Taehyung pulled him in, an ear to ear grin dissolving any angry bone in Jungkook.

"you should see this," he dragged him up the stairway towards the throne. Jungkook hesitated, feet falling behind taehyung's. The elder turned to him, "Hyuk, trust me"

Jungkook didn't need to be told twice, so he did as the King said; sat in the throne where Taehyung asked him to and mouth-shut obeyed when taehyung giggled and said, "Don't look at me, look up there" He pointed at the arched window beneath the ceiling, straight ahead from the throne he was sitting upon.

Sunlight kissed the glass-stuck beneath the ceiling and between marble walls- hollowing out into an amalgam of colours. Jungkook counted a few: purple, green, a little bit of yellow, orange, red. He smiled, it looked so beautiful, he could sit and watch this all day.

"pretty, right?" He nodded, still counting the colours, finding new ones, drawing patterns. "It's like the rainbow"

Jungkook hadn't realised the similarity-he looked at taehyung as if he were the rainbow. "How do you know so much?"

"About rainbows?" Taehyung sat on the seat of the throne. He fit everywhere, he even belonged in Jungkook's unbelongingness (if that was a word).

Jungkook nodded, albeit unsure if the rainbows was all he asked taehyung about. "I don't, mother loves rainbows," His smiled turned nostalgic, "I have this memory, she and I trying to find the ends of the rainbow"

"It didn't end well, I fell into the river the rainbow fell across," he laughed to himself, "I don't remember much after. The river went dry for the next two years though, mother wouldn't talk about it after. No one else did either. So I went looking for books to know where rainbows ended, thought the answer would be there. But now I know more about rainbows than myself"

He patted his shoulder, "enough of my pity stories, tell me, what colour do you see the brightest?"

Jungkook didn't need to look again to know it was "red"

Taehyung smiled a shy smile. He hid it behind an act of tying his hair into a bun. Jungkook looked away, back at the rainbow simluation against the glass. It looked different now, like the colours weren't all that it was.

He turned to Taehyung, "so where do rainbows end?"

"They don't," Taehyung shifted in the seat, Jungkook noticed it was too small to actually sit upon. "They're circles. They look like they end halfway between the sky and the ground but they're circle, they don't end at all"

Jungkook emptied the throne, walked around, kissed taehyung, and when they parted from it, said, "My smart mate" and pushed taehyung into his rightful throne. The elder laughed, red at his ear tips.

From here, from up this close, Taehyung is a king. The chair rejoices in his favour to take a seat in there, it turns twice brighter, taehyung burns like a sun up here. He looks up at Jungkook, smile fading but not leaving his lips. "What?"

There's too much to tell. You're born to be a king. You shouldn't call yourself a monster. You burn like a sun up here, but you could also be the rainbow if you want. We are getting late, time is less with you. Instead he shakes his head, "nothing, you're different here"

Taehyung looks around, scrunches his brows. "how?"

So many questions, he always has so many questions for jungkook.

"I don't know. You just belong better here" Jungkook thinks back to the gandharian throne, it's lion-headed arms and velvet cushions. "You belong in thrones, as king. As people's and my beloved king"

Taehyung tips his head back and laughs. He turns pink with every giggle, he makes Jungkook love sick.

When his laughter dies and he looks down to the exit, he quickly leaves his seat and grabs his wrist, "Hurry! We are late" Jungkook runs after, always happy to be behind taehyung, watch his bun come undone, sway with every scolding step to the floor.

They run back and part ways before palace main gates. Taehyung promised he won't ever make him mad again, Jungkook promised him he won't. Taehyung laughed and kissed him farewell.

Taehyung arrived late to the ground. It was past sun down when he did, the ground could've been mistaken for empty hadn't his eyes adjusted to the dark, but taehyung came like the moon.

None of the jewels he wore matched the gold of his skin. For all he looked like dusk sun, taehyung fit the title moon better. He searched for him and when their eyes met, Taehyung smiled a kind of smile that could've created magic but instead settled to swell his heart.

He climbed the podium, adjusted his dress, turned to his people. "Today marks the final day of uvagai, a festive that I know we all hold dear in our hearts. Thank you for all the gifts to the palace, I promise a safe reign over years to come" Jungkook looked nowhere else, only him, and knew when his eyes shifted to his when he said that. It was a silent deal. Taehyung will get the kingdom back to its normalcy after uvagai, and they'll leave, not a sound.

Ryejin, he said one day when they were practicing archery together. She will make a good queen? he asked, bow stretched, eyes trained at the wooden target. Jungkook had forgotten both the past and the future, he barely understood taehyung before the elder nodded to himself. She would, I'll make her the best queen after mother.

Jungkook had talked an hour, it is easy to talk to Taehyung but difficult to make him hate himself any lesser from all of that. He called himself a monster, more times than Jungkook can count with 10 fingers. Jung hyuk, you don't understand.

So a deal was pitched. Taehyung would lose everything, Jungkook will watch. He swallowed a lump down his throat, they were never destined to walk flower paths.

"Under the moon, in her blessings, let today's ceremony begin," Drum rolls followed and Taehyung climbed closer towards the sanctum sanctorium. Save for the red of his robe, he disappeared in the dark of the tiny space.

The sanctum sanctorium, as he knows now, is a tiny room containing the inherited moonstone given to the kingdom of Kaatru. Gandhara's most priced possession, the moonstone was divided and shared across the 5 kingdoms of the empire, which now is almost an idol of worship in most of them.

It isn't visible to the normal eye, his father once said, eyes trained onto an official scroll. The offsprings of the chosen king of each kingdom have their names written on them. The moon evaluates her caretaker every uvagai, and changes them if her children are unhappy. The moon is our sole guardian because she wants all her children happy and safe, he wore a smile like he believed what he said. Jungkook hardly believed anything good about the moon, so he didn't.

By now, Taehyung's robe had disappeared into the sanctorium too, hushed whispers passed around the ground. The moon will choose well for us. She always has.

Someone said the moonstone is out, but when he turned to the sanctorium there was only a small white dot of light. The stone is only visible to the chosen king, his father's words repeated in his head, more as a consolation and less as a reminder.

The light was so small it could've passed off as rather a trivial illusion of the eye, but it grew. Soon Taehyung came into the field of the light-one by one, his hands, jewellery, lips, eyes. It was beautiful.

He had his eyes closed, palms locked against his chest. The ground hummed with prayers, taehyung was their king and saviour. Jungkook tried linking him, dont pray as a monster pray like their king, but he heard nothing, not even the faintest sounds of his breath. He assumed it was the moonstone, a few myths had it that it hindered any kind of magic near it. Any kind.

The light outgrew taehyung, it swallowed his palms and the chest they were locked against as a prayer. Right here, it looked like the eye of the light, tinged a dark blue that grew out into brighter white ends.

The ground went awfully quiet, they held their own palms against their chest. They prayed, begged the moon. Choose well, choose well.

Jungkook tried phrasing a prayer of his own, but he believed the moon lesser and Taehyung more. Any prayer he had, died at his tongue, turned bitter. He looked at Taehyung, he couldn't stop looking. This is his mate, this was all he would lose this was all he would lose.

When Taehyung opened his eyes, they glew blue. Hoseok once said, his love for seas softening his baritone, the sea is as blue as the sky, Jungkook. But everytime I'm anywhere near the sea, I have only wanted to drown and swallow all the blue. Jungkook gets it now, he looks at Taehyung's eyes, he gets it. He could drown in there, drink up the all the blue, live forever.

The light around him was equally blue at the centre, bigger than it was before. It kept growing, Taehyung now held it between his palms like it were the moon, face almost disappearing into the light. Jungkook shifted throught he crowd, his gut twisted, never trust the moon never trust the moon.

The blue spread, the light stayed white at the ends but taehyung's palms weren't their usual gold anymore. They had turned pale and now blue at their tips. He looked around, panicked, why is no one doing anything?

Taehyung's brows burrowed, he was chanting something. Oh dear moon, mother please, just this once-he couldn't hear any further, the moonstone warned him, a shrill white noise rang his ears.

Jungkook ignored the pain it left, moved through the crowd as fast as it let him. He could hardly blink, eyes unwavering from Taehyung. The blue snaked around his veins, climbed up his forearms and now caught around his shoulders, Jungkook winced.

He quickened his steps, the herd slowed him down. He wanted to shake them all awake, your saviour needs you, but they all seemed to know. None opened their eyes, none did anything but pray.

The sanctorium kept growing further from him, Taehyung kept turning blue.It plagued his veins, wound around his neck like thin blue nooses. Jungkook tried linking him, desperate, a shrill white noise rang back. He tried again, then again. The magic hindering him was powerful, it hurt his ears until he could no more hear any prayers of the ground.

He halted, head hurting, dizzy. A hand caught his forearm, dragged him further away from taehyung. When he tried peeling his eyes open next, Taehyung was blue all over and twitching from pain.

Jungkook tried tugging at the hand pulling him away, faint buzz ringing his ears. His wolf growled, he opened his eyes, Min hyung. The elder mouthed something muted by the buzz, he nodded turning dizzy by the minute.

"-alright?" he reached for the nearest tree, nodded again. Its bark was cool, as cool as the air.

"Hyuk," he refused to open his eyes, he didn't want to see Taehyung in pain again. A warm palm against his shoulder, he shuddered against himself.

"Hey, calm down," he opened his eyes, bile against his throat. How could he say that? How could Min hyung say that? Does he not see Taehyung? "No, he's in pain-you-you don't understan- taehyung's in-"

"hey hey hey, listen," he collected him by his forearms, the warmth grounded him. The ground came back much clearer, Min hyung looked more tense than he showed himself to be, "I know. It never gets easy to look at him like that-"

"wha-what do you mean?" He said it like a forlorn whisper, already only expecting bad. They were never meant to walk flower paths.

Min sighed, a kind that he usually keeps reserved for talking about his own older self. "this is a test, all of this"

Jungkook didn't look back, he was so fucking scared.

"The last day of every uvagai, the current ruler of kaatru is tested by the moon. She evaluates them, you need to ask Taehyung the details but this is all we know," Min hyung for once wasn't moving his hands around, wasn't this bouncing ball of joy.

"It is usually this painful, he hides it well, but I know because my father was incharge of the moonstone when he was alive and -and he would tell us these storie-hyuk," he took a pause, chewed his words around. This is a first, Min hyung never tests his words in his tongue before he says them. He knows their taste, but he looked so uncertain now. "hyuk, the moon won't fail him. Believe me, she's like his mothe-"

"What if he does?"

Min hyung pulled his palms away, the cold air was much colder where he did.

"He won't"

Jungkook closed his eyes, his wolf banged the walls of his head. He kept the beast at bay, hurled stones at the moon in another distant corner of his head. "but what if he does?"

Min hyung kept quiet, he looked afraid.

"Hyung please," he held the other's palms between his like a prayer, ready to spill the entire trajectory of his life. Taehyung is the bercahaya, he needs to be protected, fought for if not saved, ryejin should become the queen, Taehyung would want that. Hyung, you need to stay stron-but none of that left his mouth, when he opened them, all that came was a begging. "Taehyung-taehyung, I love him, hyung. I love him, I nee-please I need to know" He didn't realise he wasn't breathing straight.

Min hyung's frame deflated, he looked anywhere but him. "If he fails, the moon banishes him from kinghood," he took a sigh, he was taking too many sighs, "a mark will appear on his forehead to show that he's the rejected one-" Rejected one?

Jungkook turned to Taehyung against himself. His mate had vanished into the light, it had turned as big as the sanctorium. The mass moved back, chanting turning louder.

"Hyuk, hyuk!" Pats against his cheek. He turned to the elder, eyes burning. "It usually doesn't happen. If the people are happy then the moon is too. You know the people love him here. You're thinking too much, there's no better king than him, hyuk" Min hyung smiled at Taehyung, a kind that showed he believed him.

Jungkook believed him too, he could yell that from here. He could yell it at the damn moon. But the Taehyung he knows can also swallow fire, the taehyung he knows also has a dormant beast. If he knows, then so does the all seeing moon. She spares no one mercy, she didn't spare him any.

But none of that stopped him from turning towards Taehyung, joining the crowd, clasping his palms together. In his head, he could almost see her form laughing at him- the moon- dripping with mockery. He remembers being 10 and swearing to the mirror he broke, Jeon Jungkook would never kneel before the moon.

But he squeezes his palms closer now, heart at his ears, and the prayer leaves his lips like he has knelt to the moon a hundred times before. Please save him, please believe him, please. he's a king before a monster he's a king before a monster he's a king.

He had his eyes shut, an image of the moon, one of Taehyung, his wolf growling elsewhere. He could hear Ryejin too somewhere far, she sounded like she was crying. Jungkook tried linking Taehyung again, she's crying-please Ryejin is cry-A shrill ring, he knelt to the ground, it rang his ears until he heard no more of his wolf. The magic was powerful, and equally painful.

His ears ached, an incoming headache originated somewhere behind his neck. He held his palms closer, squeezed his eyes shut, Taehyung's face from his confession last night beamed in there. He looked brighter than all colours of the rainbow. How many ever colours does the rainbow have? Taehyung would know, please taehyung.

Magic is funny. It plays at the seams of emotions, he remembered another half heard lecture (does he know all this just from half listening?). Magic can control emotions, yes yes they can, but emotions are usually stronger. I am speaking magic in Gods, in moonchildren, I am speaking magic of huger things and still, emotions win them over. So Jungkook, what is magic if not emotions?

He peels open his eyes, the light is gone, but the eye of the light has remained and swirls in a hypnotizing blue before the sanctorium. Taehyung's behind it, he has his brows drawn and lips in a frown.

Jungkook wonders if he's bargaining with the moon. He asks her time, she answers in mockery. Once his father said, a king has to kneel. If it is for his people, he must kneel. Taehyung is a king, Jungkook knows because he has knelt before him and begged for time. Atleast until uvagai, my people need me.

Magic can be won over by magic, only until it is made of love. If magic comes from any other place, it destroys. He wanted the moon here, he wanted her to answer. Stop making him beg, listen, does your magic come from love? Don't make him beg, answer me. Where does your magic originate?

A sudden gust of wind fell around the ground, he could hear the leaves rustling. Jungkook held onto his prayers, chanted with the crowd. They had all turned louder, they all wanted to save their king.

There was a flash of white light through his eyelids, it disappeared soon as it came between one of his pleases and dear moons. The winds stopped, air settled and the chantings died out. When he opened his eyes, he still kept his pleases one shaky exhale away, ready to fight the moon or beg her.

But there stood taehyung, people crying out his name before him. He looked slightly pale and infinitely pleased. This way he smiled then, it was a smile of a king. He was a king before a monster, king before his bercahaya.

Jungkook stood up and walked back towards Min hyung. The elder looked like he would say 'I told you so'. Min saw him coming, made his way towards him, patted him twice against his shoulder and said, "I told you so"

They laughed. It was a silent exchange, they both needed their own taehyungs.

"I am glad and always honoured to be approved by my people and my dear mother, moon" Taehyung looked up to the sky, he looked extremely grateful. But the moon had vanished from up there, she didn't seem pleased. It was a bargain.

"I must however address my parliament and people that, following the end of the ceremony, I am planning on bringing about changes to my reign to be your worthy king"

He looked right at him, Jungkook searched for any signs of pain, there was only guilt. "Soon as the kingdom returns to normalcy, I have decided to bring these changes to action" He paused, scanned the ground, looked at his people and if Jungkook looks a little closer, he is blinking fast, eyelids wet at the ends.

"I want my people to be accepting of them, welcome these changes as you did when I climbed this throne 7 years ago," He smiles his kind smile, but Jungkook wanted to shake the tears out of him. Don't keep it in, let it out, tell them.

The crowd yelled back, yes yes. He felt his gut churn, no no. Taehyung is a king. He is a king, he should remain a king.

"hey," Min hyung sounded gentle. Jungkook blinked, turning to him.

The elder stared, gaze questioning. Jungkook had his head everywhere, he turned to look at taehyung once more, then back to Min hyung. "he didn't tell me"

Min hyung looked at taehyung, they both watched him hide pain well, "he's like that," a beat of a cricket's song, "I know there should be a better explanation but he won't let the people he loves worry for him"

Jungkook closed his eyes, let a shaky breath out. All his leftover pleases to the moon died. "why?"

"he is like that," he shook his head, "I know there has to be a better explanation- but that's how he is. He likes to be our king first" Taehyung is a king. Taehyung is a king. Taehyung is a king. Why can't he then remain one?

Taehyung spoke again, king-like timber shaking water lillies, "Everyone's requested to enjoy the end of the festival equally as you did the beginning. Let bercahaya go as happily as she came" he looked at him as if in reassurance that he was the bercahaya. Jungkook nodded, yes you are.

He kept his gaze on him, Taehyung got off the podium, adjusted his dress. By the looks of it, he hated it. Jungkook smiled against himself.

Taehyung walked fast, faster than people with legs as long as him do. Taehyung had giggled it off when he shared the piece of information. He was walking fast now, towards him. Jungkook couldn't form one coherent sentence, he just kept looking for any remnant blue, any underlying pain.

"I'm fine" Liar. He was pale, a little shaky at his knees.

Jungkook held his wrist, checked for any thrumming source of pain. He identified a few, one near his chest, another at his shoulder, one at his right knee-all leftover magic. He sighed, eyes meeting Taehyung's huge gold ones. He looked guileless, incapable of harm to anyone and anything. "Where does it hurt?"

Taehyung looked at him long enough for his nape to itch and said, "I am fine," he looked around, "am alright"

"Where's min?" Jungkook looked at him long enough until it was his turn to sigh.

"It's not that bad," he came close, close enough they could kiss but instead whispered at his ear, "Not here"

Jungkook let his wrist go, reaching for his fingers instead. They danced around, enveloping pinkies, turning rings, tingling under palms.

Taehyung looked around, then at him, but he kept his head low, staring at their fingers, chasing taehyung's ring. "you got scared back there?"

Jungkook lifted his head, nodded guilty. He hadn't intended to though. No. That wasn't all the reason, there were too many. I couldn't find a cure, I promised I would save you the way you did me. I keep thinking you won't die as a king. There is still some blue beneath your jaw. I love you, I can't lose you.

"I am alright," Taehyung drew a soft finger down his jaw, it went up and down. "I will be alright"

Jungkook knew he meant him healing the pain back when they are in his chambers. But it left his mouth before he could convince himself that these were the only wounds. "What if you don't get to be?"

Taehyung looked at him the way his father did when he showed him the throne and Jungkook asked "what's the point" He looked broken.

"Taehyung! Tete!" Ryejin's foot hit the ground before her voice reached them. They jerked away from each other, taehyung composed himself to form a quick smile. He would've made a better actor than the one behind him on-stage.

"tae-" She caught her breath, shooting him a distasteful glare in the process. She dragged Taehyung a little further, whispering into his ears. Jungkook would, on any other fine evening though a little sweaty, not have bothered about Ryejin feeding taehyung lies about him. However, today was exceptional. Today he begged the moon, it has to be exceptional.

"I'm not telling you to abandon him in the woods," She gritted, almost ready to bite his head off when she looked his way. "I'm only asking you to keep distance"

"Rae, he's my commander, and now a friend," His heart bloomed, "do I ask you to stay away from min-"

"Don't you dare-!" Jungkook didn't need wolf ears for this. Ryejin composed herself, looking away, "Don't you dare compare him to min"

"Why not? Because you're courting him?"

"What!?" Half the ground turned thier way, the omnipresent chatter dying out. She looked around, shifted feet, mumbled something like an apology, "What? Taehyung, where did you even get that from?"

"Rae, I support you," He patted her shoulder, the contact a tad awkward. "I support your decisions, I will be happy if you did mine too" Then his mate, his brave lovely mate, turned towards him and walked.

"Come let's go," he held his wrist, hanging limply by his sides and dragged him towards the crowd. Blood rushed to his heart, he tugged taehyung's sleeve and when he turned said, "You can pretend I am your enemy if it saves you her anger"

Taehyung's eyes softened, shoulders fell into a gentle sigh. The kind that preambled a wise sentence like, "hyuk, I love you" Jungkook swears he can't feel the ground, "It's my decision to love you, she can either accept that or live with the fact"

His breath caught in his throat, he could never say something better than it's my decision to love you. He tugged two fingers beneath taehyung's chin, and didn't bother a care about the world when he kissed him as gently as how it's my decision to love you sounded.

Taehyung smiled into the kiss.

When they parted, Jungkook was warm and pink. He looked at taehyung, he could keep looking his mate. "What?" Taehyung asked, an uncontrollable giggle already bleeding through the cracks of his lips. He asked it like he hadnt just said the most ground breaking, stone carving, pages worthy descriptives kind of literature pinnacle in romance to his lover. (his lover)

"You can't say things like that and not expect me to kiss you"

"I did expect to kiss you" It is all funs and giggles until Taehyung flirts back.

Jungkook fumbled, looked away, scratched his nape. "Shouldn't you be there with your ministers?"

"I enjoy my commander's company better" He wasn't thinking through these statements-h-he-

"My king," Not him, someone else. Some Jang wook who eyes him suspiciously ever since his return last week from 'an offcicial trip'. "The show is beginning, Commander Min called for your presence"

"Tell him I'll be there in a minute," Taehyung directed, a jovial smile adding, "and to tell you that you don't need to be so formal with me all the time, wook-ah," he patted his shoulders, they seemed built. He is a soldier? He had seemed more like taehyung's personal minister of sorts.

Taehyung turned to him, he was still gauging this Jang wook's position in the miliatry. "You should also join us"

Jang wook burrowed his brows, looked between them.

Jungkook smiled, "I have to assist-"

Taehyung grabbed his wrist, wook's eyeballs almost split open and popped out. "We have all the time in the world for that, come with me now" He dragged him before the alpha opened his mouth, making the crowd around them go quiet.

Then there were whispers, which Jungkook was only hearing because Taehyung wasn't speaking. 'He doesn't deserve the king'

Don't believe them.

Jungkook thinks this must be love. He hears taehyung in his head, almost as instant as the first whisper makes sense in his head. He hears Taehyung as angry in there, he made a mental note to look for lip bites later. He hears taehyung, feels his grip tighten and thinks this is love. Jungkook for once wants to believe someone, more than he believed he would make it through his fate without a sound.

He looks up, the universe gave him taehyung, his slowly coming undone bun, half worn shoes, gentle command of feet—no, he is going down his fate with a bang. Taehyung repeats the statement until that is all he hears.

Taehyung walks fast, he tries to catch up despite being the fastest wolf on mother earth. DONT BELIEVE THEM DONT BELIEVE THEM DONT BELIEVE THE—He doesn't link back, doesn't speak because Jungkook cannot refuse Taehyung.

He could not refuse Taehyung when he begged him to let him lose everything, so he promised to stand and watch. He could not refuse Taehyung when he knew he would only bring them both down, so he kissed taehyung once twice thrice until the fire is invincible now.

Jungkook cannot, to save his life,  refuse Taehyung but he can disagree with him. He watches his half worn shoes skid their rocky way upto the stage, and Jungkook quietly disagrees. They are right, Jungkook does not deserve taehyung (no, he does not), he only tries his best.

They reach the part of the ground, separated from the fairs for the show. Min hyung is waving at them and the crowd is excited as the curtains open. Taehyung's excitement is infectious as he waddles over to Min hyung, taking the seat with the best view. Jungkook keeps him close, skin to skin, knee to knee. The show starts, curtains open, Taehyung turns to him and gives him a child-like smile.

Jungkook does not deserve taehyung. He is only trying his best.

_______________

A/n:
had the worst writer's block after a failed attempt at enjoying vacation...

I literally wanna sit and cry right now, am probably already crying cuz I hate what I have wrote Idek how yall find it in you to tolerate me and my stupid style of writing 😭 but thank you so much

IT MEANS BEYOND THE WORLD TO ME

I hate being this insufficient author for yall, hopefully I get through this patch soon and give yall fun content ahead.

I know am like extremely late, but happy pride month folks (did u notice the mention of the 🌈 ?? if yes, comment here 🥹)

also, since am already ranting...that pic of the moon is one I took here, in my native, it's so fucking beautiful I could almost sit and cry but I keep writing poems and listening to music and it all feels like a lucid dream here sometimes. sadly am going back soon, but am hoping am gonna get something done there atleast :(