A/N: hi everyone

Christmas is coming (if you celebrate it)

I'm so excited because I'm going on vacation somewhere warm

finally...sun.

Anyway, thanks for reading, i love you all 

:)

_Izzy_

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Taehyung sat. 

He sat and stared. His lips parted as movement danced above his head. 

A lonely gull flew by, cutting the air with its dark wings. It soared high above the Oak Castle, heading somewhere a bit warmer for the winter. Its beak opened to cry out to the overcast day, but the blonde could only imagine how lonely it sounded. 

He crossed his legs, trying his best to keep in the little amount of body heat he had left after sitting in the farthest part of the garden for hours. It had been days since the wedding, and ever since that dreaded night he had distanced himself from everyone. But what else could he do? It was his coping mechanism for all that he had witnessed. 

The morning after the wedding, the blonde closed off to everyone. Jungkook prodded him a few times, as Taehyung never had been so quiet before in his life. 

"Tae? I'm sorry. I know I hurt you."

All the Oak Prince received was a nod. Then, more silence. After an entire trip back to the Oak Castle in silence (Taehyung refused to bid farewell to Florian and Eonjin--instead, they left at first sign of dawn)  the ravenette was a bit more pushy.

"Taehyung. Can you please say something? You're scaring me, you're never like this."

In response, the blonde opened his mouth and then closed it. He found he had no words to say to his husband. Jungkook waited a bit longer, desperate to get some, any answer out of Taehyung.

But he got nothing.

Days later, and the two still hadn't held a real conversation. At night, they would fall asleep in the same bed and wake up in silence. Taehyung could tell the ravenette was suffering because of it; Jungkook's lips were bitten raw and he constantly stole glances at the blonde when he thought the other wasn't looking. 

Taehyung noticed every look though. Ever since his hearing impairment, he had adapted to heighten any sudden visual stimulus in his environment. 

Now, he was watching the blank sky in thought. Since that day, Taehyung made it his mission to avoid the other, no matter how much it hurt him inside. He spent most of his time outside--watching nature despite the freezing late fall temperatures. It gave him an excuse to wear layer after layer of his personalized bearskin coats, fur tickling against his red cheeks. At the moment the sun was setting on the horizon, and the blonde was busying himself with studying the color patterns seeping out of the clear November sky.

Peach, gold...red.

Red.

The color that once used to remind him of his sweet daughter, his sweet Rose--(Not your real daughter!!!) reminded him of the person who came into his life and ruined it.

Jimin.

The half-demon, who initially Taehyung never trusted, had broken the trust the blonde gave to him only hours after it was given.

By luring Jungkook in.

The sky dimmed. Taehyung didn't realize how intensely he was reacting to its colors until he gazed down at the bench he was seated on. His knuckles were white, gripping the frozen edge so hard he was afraid he might get splinters in his hands. 

"Fuck." 

He deadpanned. A gaze around confirmed nobody in his vicinity, yet Taehyung felt as if somebody was watching him. He stood up, suddenly uncomfortable.

As he walked back to the towering Oak Castle in the distance with his hands smashed into his pockets, he swore he could see white flashes of hair behind every shell of a tree. He saw red eyes in the browning leaves rotting on the fountain rim...the black lines of the path he paced along were the same black marks plaguing Jimin's arms. The demon couldn't get out from under his skin.

"Go away!" 

He yelled at no one, head down, not wanting to see the demon pop up around him, for he knew it could happen. Would Jimin wipe him out too? Sure, he had protected them once, but now that they were enemies-

Taehyung didn't realize how fast he was walking blindly until it quite literally hit him in the head. Or rather, his head ran into someone. 

"OW!"

Taehyung flinched back, stumbling over his feet and sprawling on the dirt path. He was still quite a ways from the back doors of the castle, which meant-

Anything that happened to him out there...Nobody would come for him. He had sent the guards away. 

Taehyung didn't want to look up to see who he had ran into. He already had a bad feeling. And technically, if Taehyung didn't see the person, then they wasn't really there, were they?

So, since he couldn't hear the perpetrator nor see him if he covered his head and curled into a little ball...

That's exactly what he did. Remaining silent. Eventually, Jimin would have to go away from his balled up form.

(Or kill him)

In Taehyung's protected silence, the feeling that somebody was still there didn't leave. Instead, it intensified--he swore he felt the temperature rising around him, as if somebody was leaning over him.

Fuck...why did this stupid demon have so much control over him...he was Kim fucking Taehyung, and just because he was impaired didn't mean he couldn't protect himself.

He could almost hear Jungkook whispering "that's the spirit!" in his ear, and it brought a small smile to his face. The person was definitely close, and the imagined encouragement from his husband (even if they weren't on speaking terms) gave Taehyung the courage he needed.

He's close...he'll get what he deserves!

Taehyung suddenly reared up, unclasping himself from the uncomfortable position and swinging at the person bent over him. A wave of triumph soared through him went his fist made contact with something. 

"You can't mess with Kim Taehyung!" The blonde shouted, blood coursing through his veins. 

Since it was after sunset, it was a bit dim outside so it took him awhile to make out the figure sprawled across the ground. His legs were clothed in black, wearing a black vest with-

Black...hair?

Oh...oh no.

"Jungkook!"

Taehyung hopped up, rushing over to attend to his hurting husband who was clutching his cheek in clear pain. 

"Are you okay? Oh my god, babe--I'm so sorry I thought you were Jimin, I-"

Jungkook removed his hand from his face, a small bump forming high on his cheekbone. Taehyung helped him sit up, feeling like shit for punching his husband.

The Oak Prince brought a hand up to Taehyung's hand on the back of his head and shocked the blonde by...smiling?

"If a punch is what I needed in order for you to talk to me, I'm god damn happy now."

Taehyung breathed a sigh of relief while his husband laughed, taking the opportunity of their closeness to let his hand linger on the other's arm. Something in Taehyung cracked at seeing his husband so needy, and he lightly grazed his fingers across Jungkook's swelling cheek.

"I...I'm s-sorry I...how can I fix this? I really didn't mean to hit you, Jesus...what do I do?"

Jungkook didn't hesitate.

"Please kiss me, Tae. I miss you, please--I know you're mad, but..."

"Okay..."

Taehyung pulled Jungkook in, fighting his brain telling him to leave the Oak Prince alone. His lips brushed against the ravenette's, setting his heart on fire again. Jungkook was just so warm...so nice to hold and kiss-

It was no wonder Jimin sought after Jungkook instead of him.

The Oak Prince grinned into the long, tender kiss, probably happy at the intimacy they were sharing after so many days of silence. Jungkook's chapped lips moved readily and actively against his own while Taehyung placed a hand on a sturdy chest. He leaned back and whispered something under his guilty lashes.

"I'm not mad at you, Jungkook. It's Jimin I'm mad at. Anyone in their right mind would want you and I couldn't even see it happening right in front of me--I was just denying it-"

"Hey now," Jungkook pulled Taehyung onto his lap, hands interlacing behind his lower back to hold him there. "Nobody in their right mind would want me. I have a husband--a beautiful, loving blonde to stick by me. Jimin made a huge mistake by going after me and he knew it."

A small smile slipped back onto the elder's face before he leaned in again, lips pressed tightly to the corner of Jungkook's mouth. His hands messed in black locks as Jungkook pulled their bodies closer together on the cold floor of the path. 

But Taehyung wasn't cold anymore. His heart was wonderfully warm and he felt stable underneath his husband's caresses. 

"Kook." He groaned as Jungkook's hand slipped under his fuzzy coverup. "We s-should go inside, it's chilly out here."

"Mmmhh?"

Jungkook buried his face into the other's neck, kissing long trails down the tanned and smooth skin there. 

A blush creeped up into Taehyung's face as he felt something strangely hard underneath him, poking his thigh.

"Kook! Let's go inside now, a servant might come out at any time and see us making out on the ground-"

Jungkook pulled back and almost crooned at how cutely worried Taehyung looked. Normally, the blonde wasn't so self-conscious about others witnessing their PDA, but ever since the idea of Jimin showing up at any time buried itself into his head...

He was a bit paranoid.

"Okay, Tae. Promise not to give me the silent treatment anymore? I promise I'll better take care of you from now on, love."

The ravenette waited for an answer, hair tossed messily over his forehead, lips red and cheeks blown. The wind gave both of them goosebumps, yet Taehyung only felt heat radiating from his husband. 

God damn, why was he so attractive-

Taehyung rolled off of Jungkook and got to his feet, helping the other to stand. Jungkook still looked at him, waiting for an answer.

"I promise, Kook. And you always take care of me, babe." Taehyung smirked, smacking the ravenette's ass as he hurried down the path in the bitter cold. Slyly, he turned around to witness Jungkook half-drooling at the words. He really must've been needy.

"Coming?"

"O-oh, yes." The Oak Prince lightly shook his head to rid whatever thoughts were there and hurried forward.

He took ahold of Taehyung's hand and together they walked the rest of the way towards the Oak Castle. 

*     *     *    

"Flor? I need your opinion!"

Eonjin made her way around the huge pile of wedding gifts they were sorting out at the Laurel Castle. She was holding a...well, she didn't know what she was holding. It looked kind of like a lace tapestry but there were too many loopholes and it was in long strands. Some exotic décor from the south? 

"Yes, sweetheart...what...help...with?" 

Florian's was half-inside a Victorian style wardrobe gifted to them from some duke. Eonjin giggled as he bumped his head on the door as he pulled it out of the wardrobe. He turned to look at her and frowned at the object in her hand.

"What is that?"

Eonjin tossed it around in her hands, glaring at it. "That's what I'm asking..."

"Here." Florian motioned for her to hand it over. He took it into his hands and turned it over, examining the pattern on the cloth. A good minute or so passed before he snorted, handing it back to her. 

"Well, whatever it is I don't know what use we'll have for it." Suddenly a sultry look passed over his face. "Unless it's for tying up something in the bedroom..."

"Florian!" Eonjin's face heated in embarrassment as she smacked his arm, trying to stifle the smile. "Not funny."

He laughed, holding up his hands in defense. "I wasn't kidding! I was serious, we could use some more stylish, uh, drape holders-"

"That's not what you meant."

Florian relented, hugging her side while chuckling. He laid a protective hand on her rather prominent baby bump and gave her a side kiss to the cheek.

"Yeah, that's not what I meant."

Eonjin threw the weird object to the side and continued on with the next stack of presents. "We both know I should be careful with an extra passenger along, Flor..."

"Of course, Eonnie." He resumed examining the inside of the wardrobe. "I wouldn't hurt Florian Jr."

Eonjin suddenly grew quiet from outside, but Florian thought she must've just been distracted by another gift. Her attention was pretty fleeting, as ran in the Kim family whenever a new interest was introduced. After a few moments, his wife called out. 

"Flor, I'm going to the bathroom! I'll be back."

He shouted an incomprehensible acknowledgment in reply. The tiny sounds of her footsteps echoed away as she left the large stack of presents in the middle of the ballroom. Florian began muttering to himself about the object.

"Now how is this wood any better than the rosewood wardrobe in her room?"

He sighed, running a hand along the smooth surface and testing the strength of the board by knocking once, twice. 

What he didn't expect was a response back. A knock--once, twice.

He pulled his head out of the wardrobe, stepping out to round the other side.

"Eonjin? Weren't you in the bathro-"

He stopped dead in his tracks. 

An unexpected guest stood there, watching him. 

"Oh...I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting you, Jimin."

The half-demon shrugged, leaning against the wardrobe with a nonchalant, stiff expression. His red eyes looked dangerously alluring up close, and Florian was at a loss for words standing so near to his old mentor. Unlike almost all of the other royals, Florian was the only one who hadn't reunited with Jimin so openly. In fact, the Stone Prince hadn't said a single word to the other at the wedding since the demon was busy...killing people. 

"It's nice to see you, Flor." 

Jimin moved forward, arms extended. The Stone Prince blinked in confusion, afraid Jimin was going to break something. 

"Um, do you want...?"

Jimin tried at a smile. 

"A hug? It's so nice to see you up close. It truly has been too long Florian. I thought I owed you a visit sooner or later instead of just watching you from afar."

Florian nodded, leaning down to hug the half-demon who felt surprisingly cold under his touch. The Stone Prince was shocked to feel a steady heartbeat coming from the other. It was just too...human.

"God, this is fucking strange! I knew you existed I just...only relied on Eonjin's description of you. She told me most things but...holy shit! Jimin, you're not just a statue in my backyard!"

Jimin released his grip on the prince, turning his head away bashfully. 

"No...I guess I'm not."

Florian couldn't help but feel like something was off with him. Even if he was smiling now it seemed as if he was down or distracted by something much larger. Especially if it would bring him to the Laurel Castle midday. 

"So...what brings you here? Want to destroy another statue outside?" Florian winked, trying to bring the mood up. It was what he was good at, always personable enough to bring good spirits to his guests.

Jimin blinked before remembering the destruction he caused days earlier. He didn't laugh like Florian. "Oh...yeah, about that...I'll give you a new one-"

"No need!" Florian pointed dramatically at the pile of presents around them. "There are tons of gifts here from the wedding, plus--Eonjin sits on tons of gold--she can buy whatever she wants when she wants. Not saying you should go around breaking our things, but..."

"Point taken. Sorry." Jimin bowed his head before crossing his arms and sighing. "Did Jungkook tell you what happened? Actually no, I don't want to know." 

Florian remained silent, watching Jimin's face fall further. The half-demon furrowed his brows before turning towards him. 

"Listen, I know this may sound strange coming so suddenly from a strange man-"

Florian lightly bumped the demon's shoulder. "Oh come on, Jimin. You're no stranger! You were my mentor long ago, Eonjin's close friend...even if it's kind of weird for you to uh, look so crazy and be super strong and...yeah, wow."

Jimin gave him a tiny smile. It was sad, the smile. Florian took his chances and gave the demon's shoulder a squeeze. 

"Thank you, Florian. You...never dissapoint." He looked down at his shiny black shoes, shuffling around a bit. 

"So what did you want to tell me?"

Jimin leapt onto a nearby chair, squatting on top of it. Florian would have flinched, but his military training prevented him. The half-demon gave him a curious look. 

"I remember the war like it was yesterday, Florian. I remember how small you were compared to now. How scared we were to lose. Do you remember that?"

Florian circled around the chair, sitting himself down on some antique smoothened rock-chair. It offered little comfort, but he wasn't paying attention to himself now. 

"Yes...I remember so vividly. It's still hard for me to call you Jimin and not Commander Park out of old habit."

The half-blood's eyes widened in amusement as Florian recalled the title. He cleared his throat and cracked his neck before asking what he came to ask.

"Right, right. Commander Park...it probably wasn't the best job for me given my condition at that time. You would have done a much better job. Which is why I want to ask now..."

Florian stiffened. 

Why is he mentioning the war...unless-

"Jimin, does this possibly have to do with-"

"I need your help." Jimin's tone was suddenly desperate as he eyed the other. "Florian, whatever Eonjin told you about my father and the whole crypt business--well damn it! You saw with your own eyes all of those bodies-"

A slightly disturbing feeling wormed into the Stone Prince's stomach. Remembering those bodies wasn't necessarily pleasant for him. 

"You don't mean to say you're going to use biological warfare? With the bodies, the rotting--making hundreds of people sick-"

"What? No! Florian, those bodies aren't under my control. They're my father's--when the war comes, they'll be the soldiers that we'll be fighting against."

Florian paused, going over Jimin's words in his mind. "That doesn't make sense. Those are...dead people...and what do you mean we? I'm expecting a child soon, if you didn't realize it. If I need to be selfish I will. I can't put that child at risk if I die on the battlefield."

Jimin nodded slowly, expecting this as a response from a soon-to-be father. It was the reason he was fighting, to protect Lucio. No child deserved to have a war fought in front of their eyes. 

"Just hear me out for a second. If we do this right...we won't need a battlefield to fight on. Flor..." The half-demon took in a huge breath. "My father has finished reanimating half of the army and I can't stop him unless it involves him dying. The problem is, I can't figure out his weakness and I can't kill him alone. If I don't get rid of him successfully the first time...in one shot-"

Florian bit his lip. Jimin's red eyes regarded the prince seriously.

"Then we're all dead."

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