A/N:  

Hello. 

It's cooollldddd outside and Christmas music is already playing on the radio. 

Yes ~ Frank Sinatra. My savior.

Anyway, on with the story, yeah?

Thxsomuchiloveyou-

Izzy

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

Taehyung rushed over to Jungkook, who stared open-mouthed at Jimin. Shaky breaths wracked his chest as his bleary eyes regarded Mai and Jimin in turn.

"Wha--you...h-have children, Jimin? W-why didn't you t-tell us sooner? Rose...is?"

Jimin's pale face sunk deeper into a panic as Mai stepped forward in a passion, glaring at the half-blood. He stood up off the ground and found that his legs were shaking. 

"Yes, that's right. Jimin here has two children in fact...yet he always avoids the mother of them so that-"

"I'M TRYING TO PROTECT THEM! TO PROTECT YOU!" Jimin suddenly exploded, his red eyes blaring. Jungkook flinched back into Taehyung's arms. "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND MAI--AND YOU NEVER WILL. MY FATHER IS MORE NOTORIOUS THAN YOU EVEN KNOW OR CAN UNDERSTAND." 

Mai stood still, watching the half-blood with an unwavering gaze. Since Jimin's back was to Taehyung, the blonde didn't know what was being said. Regardless, he rubbed slow circles in Jungkook's back to calm his tense body down.

But Jimin didn't quit there.

"I GAVE THEM ROSE FOR A REASON--THEY HAVE THE HIGHEST SECURITY CASTLE IN THE ENTIRE KINGDOM AND MY FATHER CAN'T GET HER THERE, MAI! I TRIED TO GIVE LUCIO TO EONJIN, BUT-"

"What?" Jungkook's voice spoke, hardly louder than a whisper. "You...you tried to give your boy...Lucio...to Eonjin?" 

Jimin turned around in surprise, his face softening when he saw the Oak Prince being held tightly by Taehyung. He lowered his head to stare at the red stains peppered on his boots before he eventually spoke. 

"Yes...after they were both born--and my father knew nothing of their existence--I tried to place them in the safest spots in the kingdom...with royalty. I knew my father wouldn't think twice about any kids belonging to the royal couples...he would be looking out for anything suspicious up north."

Mai let out a long, unsteady breath and hugged herself. 

"B-but...on my way to the Laurel Castle, I just happened t-to...to forget one main thing..." Jimin's rubbed his face as he remembered the day. "It was my father's birthday. November 21st. He rarely comes out from the crypt, and even when he does, he doesn't go far. But that day...he was going to the famed taverns near the Laurel Castle to go drinking by himself."

Taehyung picked up on bits and pieces of the story, face twisted in concentration. Although unaware of it, the blonde and Jungkook were still holding each other. Jimin watched the way their arms wrapped protectively and securely to support each other, and he felt a bit self-conscious. 

"He r-ran into me with...with a baby in my arms...and he asked me whose it was...what it was--and I--he found out, or he could tell by my face--I don't know!" Jimin's lower lip trembled and he faced Mai again. "I'm sorry, Mai...I'm r-really sorry...Lucio is now trapped with me in that crypt in the absolute worst spot he could p-possibly b-be...my father keeps us slaves there by threatening h-him and as a f-father it hurts so bad, I didn't want you to know-"

Mai wiped the tears silently falling down her cheeks with the back of her hand. "...so, Lucio is..."

Jimin moved towards her, grabbing her hands in his. "Lucio is safe for the moment...but once my father moves forward with the plan...I'm not so sure."

Stiffening, Mai slowly pulled her hands from the demon's, walking backward towards the door. "And...Rose? What about her?"

Taehyung's eyes lit up as he comprehended the statement. He smiled sadly after giving his husband a loving glance. 

"Rose...she's delightful. She's doing well and loves singing, you can catch her singing all the time, although...I can't really understand what she's saying..." 

Jimin gave a little giggle despite the tense atmosphere. "It's true, I can attest to that. I taught her most of the songs, anyway."

Jungkook nearly fainted.

"WHAT?"

Jimin blinked a few times in surprise, and then a look of recognition passed over his face. "Oh...yeah, kinda forgot to mention that I visit her a lot."

Taehyung's mouth seemed to malfunction as he processed the words. "W-wh-y-you-vi-visit--? R-Ro-ou-our-ROSE?!"

A tired hand pushed Jimin's white bangs from his face. "Yes. I have since she was born. I sometimes sing her to sleep in her room, and Lucio is in her play group every once in a while when we come and visit. I'm sorry for...well, I know it all probably sounds strange..."

The blonde let go of Jungkook and rushed forward towards Jimin. The half-demon put up his hands, afraid that Taehyung would attack him (Taehyung was super protective of his daughter) but instead, the blonde stopped a foot away from him.

"You...I'm still not understanding--Rose is for sure your daughter!? You came to our castle, snuck into Rose's room without our permission, and you haven't told us all this because-"

"Jimin was trying to protect us." Jungkook said to Taehyung, walking up next to his husband. 

The half-blood stared, surprised that Jungkook was standing up for him.

"Uh, um...y-yeah, actually, Jungkook is right-"

In an instant, Jimin was enveloped by strong arms squeezing him tightly. At first he thought he was about to be tackled to the floor, when in fact someone was just embracing him.

Hugging him.

Taehyung's chin sat on his shoulder, head nuzzled into Jimin's neck. The half-blood's arms sat limply at his sides as he waited to be yelled at, to be pushed, to be blamed by the other.

But nothing happened. Jimin felt the blonde's chest rising and falling. His mortal heartbeat.

 Jimin's eyes were blown in shock--Jungkook gaped behind him, just as surprised.

Taehyung was...hugging Jimin?

Flowers bloomed brightly under Jimin's cold, blood-covered skin. It was as if a heavy ball-and-chain had dissolved off of his ankle when Taehyung hugged him. The heavy, urging feeling that the blonde hated him, wanted him dead--finally left his gut. 

And boy, did it feel nice. 

Jimin sighed in relief, gradually bringing his hands up to Taehyung's soft hair. Jungkook stood stock still...his doe eyes peeling back Jimin's layers as he gazed. 

"I'll leave then...I don't want to interrupt your moment." Mai dejectedly spoke, although the three men hardly paid attention as she exited the room. 

Leaving the three men alone.

Jungkook couldn't help it any longer, seeing Taehyung hug the one person he had wanted to hug for some time now. A few seconds later, the ravenette encompassed both men in his arms, tears flowing freely as the situation hit him. 

He was hugging the love of his life in one arm and the father of his daughter in the other--

Yet somehow Jungkook couldn't differentiate which title belonged to whom.

"I'm s-sorry guys, but I have to go..." Jimin slowly separated from them, smiling shyly. His eyes were watery, yet he looked a little rejuvenated. "There are--the bodies, I still have to take care of them...before the wedding ends."

Taehyung said nothing.

Jungkook smiled gently.

Jimin looked away.

"I know that was a lot to take in...and I know you both probably hate me for lying to you all this time. So I didn't blame you--I don't blame you for being angry with me."

He moved towards the window, crazed hair and messy clothes giving him a ragged appearance. Jungkook shook his head at Jimin's last statement. Taehyung open and closed his mouth, thinking about saying something.

"Um...I--thank you both for...handling that well, erm, sorry for drugging you with the wine and-"

"Damn it!" Taehyung shrieked in mock anger. "I knew it! That wine tasted way too sweet. How could he get me with my own tricks..."

Jungkook burst into laughter, clutching his chest as the blonde's face contorted in deep thought. The flush of drunkenness was wearing off of his cheeks, especially since the news of his daughter helped him sober up. The half-demon appeared out of place as he smiled awkwardly, opening the window and throwing one of his legs over the threshold.

"Do you need any help?" Despite being so far from Jimin, the Oak Prince could still see the slight shake in the demon's hands. "We can help you with the bodies, or-"

"No, no. Don't. You two have helped me enough tonight. I appreciate it." Jimin scratched at his arm before he turned his head to gaze out the window. As he leaned out into the chilly night air, Taehyung stepped forward.

"Are...are you going to--jump from this high up...?"

As an answer,  Jimin sprung out of the window into the cold night air. Both Jungkook and Taehyung rushed over to the open window, yelling. 

"HOLY SHIT!"

"J-JIMIN!"

But what they saw surprisingly calmed them down. Jimin's lithe body gracefully floated down the remaining air separating him from the ground. Right before a normal person would splat, the demon twisted horizontally three times before softly landing on one knee, his palm pressing into the grass.

"Wha...what the fuck was that stunt?! Jungkook, did you just see-"

Jungkook stared as the half-demon walked quickly over to the carriage with the bodies and lifted them as if they were nothing. As if they each weighed less than a sack of flour. 

Why...why did Jimin seem so human, so innately weak around them if he could jump out of windows and lift bodies so easily? What kind of front was he putting on?

Or...did he just want to fit in--to make them feel more comfortable around him?

"Hey, Taehyung," Jungkook nudged the blonde. Taehyung blinked back at him, waiting. "You know, if Jimin is really this fucking strong but can't take out his own father..." He trailed off.

"Shit. We're fucking screwed then. Goddamn lucky that the guy never comes out of his mancave." Taehyung lamented, brushing back his blonde hair.

Jungkook nodded as they continued to watch Jimin do his work. It was a bit disturbing, watching someone you were once close with folding corpses in awkward positions to fit them inside of the storage section of a carriage. After a few minutes, nausea prompted the Oak Prince to turn away, while his husband kept watching. 

Jungkook wasn't one for killing anyway--looking at corpses wasn't exactly his forte.

"You good?" Taehyung turned towards his husband, closing the window behind him. "It's kind of gross, but I'm glad Jimin decided not to kill us in the end."

The casualness in the statement made Jungkook dizzy. 

"Heh...yes, that's really good isn't it?" A headache started to form behind his eyes. "But...to find out Rose is...Jimin's child..."

"And that Rose has a twin brother..." 

Taehyung sighed. 

The Oak Prince plopped down on the bed, gazing emotionlessly at the paintings he moved to the floor only moments earlier. "I mean...it doesn't bother me. We didn't really know who Rose's parents were anyway. But it worries me. If Jimin is a half-blood...Mai is human, right? Well, what does that make Rose? Does she have powers? Does Lucio? D-do they have to die first like Jimin to know? Because fuck Tae, I don't think I'm willing to let our girl die-"

"No fucking way!" Taehyung sat next to him, leaning his head on the ravenette's shoulder. "Rose won't die and neither will Lucio...maybe they won't even have the demon trait within them. Maybe they'll be normal, like us. I don't really understand how that works either, but-"

A knock sounded at the door.

"Mai? Jungkook asked warily. "Is that you?"

He was surprised to hear a much different voice answer him. 

"Taehyung? Jungkook? You guys naked in there?"

It was Florian. 

An embarrassed cough escaped the Oak Prince as he stood up off the bed. 

Were they that obvious before?

"No, Flor. You can come in." Jungkook answered, mouthing to Taehyung the situation.

The Stone Prince slowly entered the room, eyes covered comically as a grin spread on his lips. Taehyung rolled his eyes and stood up off of the bed. Jungkook could tell the blonde was uncomfortable. Finally, Florian removed his hand and regarded the two with a unaffected air, smiling warmly. 

What a gentleman.

"What are you doing here, Florian?" Taehyung asked, folding his hands together before instantly unfolding them. And then, perhaps after realizing how rude he came off, the blonde cleared his throat. "Ahem, er, sorry that was rude. Let's start over. Congrats on the marriage! Congrats on the pregnancy! Congrats on entering this room! Why are you here?"

Jungkook snorted, but held in his laugh. Taehyung was never one for saying the right thing. He just spoke however he wanted, and the ravenette loved him for it.

But Florian took no offense. Instead, he stuck his tongue out at Taehyung and winked at Jungkook. The blonde frowned.

"I'm here because my wife wanted me to check on you two with Mai up here and...um, Jimin." Florian looked around the room, eyes landing on the smears of blood on the ground. "And what exactly is that from?" 

Jungkook opened his mouth to answer, but Taehyung beat him to it. 

"Jungkook got a little wild with me, that's all." He smirked, eyes challenging Florian to ask about it.

The ravenette bit his tongue, interested in how the situation would play out. It wasn't that Taehyung disliked Florian, because they were all good friends, but Eonjin and Taehyung had fought about him countless times. Taehyung and Eonjin were both stubborn siblings and they both were types to hold grudges...but ever since their lengthy bout of fighting, things were tense between Taehyung and the rest of the royals.

Florian wasn't one to back down though. 

"Wow. That's a lot of blood. I didn't realize Jungkook was the aggressive type in the bedroom. The drugs must've turned him into a beast...I'm surprised you're still standing, Kim." He mused, gaze on the blonde unbreakable as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

Jungkook held his breath. Did Taehyung understand all of that?

"I'm tougher than I look." Taehyung rolled his shoulders back calmly, although Jungkook could sense the electricity buzzing under his skin. "But I'm sure you wouldn't understand how good it feels to let loose, Florian. At least not now--with my sister being pregnant and all-"

"Taehyung." Jungkook warned, grabbing the blonde's arm. But his husband waved him off.

He was playing on dangerous grounds now.

"I don't see how that has to do with anything." Florian's voice was stiff, the previous playfulness void from his tone. 

"Oh, but it does. Now that you're stuck with Eonjin for the rest of your life, and soon with a child, you can't act all high-and-mighty like you always do. As a parent, ruler, and husband, you'll be worn thin, you'll make mistakes, your perfection as Stone Prince will disappear. You can't always be a gentleman, can't always be liked. But you obviously can't let that go. You'll never let that go, that farce. I would tell you just be yourself--but wait! You can't just be yourself, I forgot."

The Oak Prince watched Florian's face, waiting for it to change, to foster anger. It didn't. Somehow, despite the personal attack, Florian remained unfazed. Jungkook thought that the suit he was wearing couldn't have fit him better. He never looked small in his clothing. He never looked like a normal person dressed in princely clothing. In other words-

Florian wore the title, the title didn't wear him. 

And Jungkook could see how that alone made Taehyung untrusting of him. Jungkook himself could hardly remember the old Florian, the one who was just a shy soldier working alongside Jimin.

"You can't be yourself, Florian, and it's clear. It's clear that secretly, you're jealous of us. Of all of us. Of my sister, of me, of Jungkook. You're jealous that you can't just let go and stop trying to please people all the time. Especially now that you know Jimin is alive, I'm sure you'll never let that go, always wanting to please him--because he did make you, you know. I just know you worship that guy-"

"Enough Taehyung."

Someone entered the room, shocking Taehyung into silence. She gave Jungkook an apologetic glare before wrapping her hand around the back of Florian's neck. Florian stared at Taehyung, a distant look in his eyes. Saying nothing more, he turned to face Eonjin.

"Why are you here, darling?"

Eonjin softly rubbed the back of his neck. 

"I came to see what was taking so long. I was afraid Jimin left an all too obvious trail or something. I guess he didn't...where's Mai?"

"She left." Jungkook's voice sounded small in his own ears. "I didn't realize that Mai had twins with Jimin...how did that even happen? How long have you known Jimin was alive, Eonjin?"

A sigh.

"That's a story for another time. Now is my wedding day and I just want to enjoy it. No more bickering, no hard feelings, no complaints. The grand dance is about to start in a few minutes--I'm sure you two would love it."

She didn't wait for them to respond before she grabbed Florian's hand and pulled him from the room. Florian bowed politely to both Jungkook and Taehyung, no sign of anger on his features.

Before he left, though, Florian said one thing that sent chills up Jungkook's spine. It was strange, something that caught him off guard. It was in the way the Stone Prince said it, as if he knew something that the Oak Prince didn't. 

"You and I, Jungkook--

we aren't that different."

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