The Law of Inertia {YOONMIN}

Chapter Six

Two days, Jimin notes. Two days since he had woken up curled up around his best friend, hand in his hair, and the distant smell of sugar cookies and cedar in his nose. Two days since he had rolled out of bed to check on his new friend, only to see that it had gone. Two days since he checked the garden for the puppy, only to never find it. Two days since he cried about it. Two days since Jungkook and Jin had to tell him it was okay. Two days since he went back to sleep alone, and two days since the smell of cedar had cleansed itself fully from his bedroom.

Two days, and now he was dressing himself, another night alone. Jungkook had his own quarters anyways, right next to the maids. He had a fine bed as well, one he had to warm for himself.

Jimin sighed for what felt like the nth time of the night, pushing his arms through his nightgown. Now the second night he had to go about doing such a thing by himself. It was going back to old mundane habits, old mundane routines. He should ask for a cat, he tells himself. Yes, a cat. Small, quiet, comes and goes as it pleases. A cat would be nice.

He walked across the room once the white cotton fabric had dropped past his knees. The second night of having to put the candles and lanterns out himself. He liked when Jungkook was here to do it. Holding Jimin as they walked, swaying to an imaginary beat.

One candle out, two, three, when suddenly, there was a rustling outside his window. The empty feeling in his gut turning pleasantly warm. The room filled with the scent of burning cedar and homemade sweets. 

"Puppy?" he said, glad the lantern was still burning as he stepped cautiously to the window. "Or a killing man. Are you a killing man, or puppy?"

There was a snout pressed to the glass. Burning gold eyes, pretty fur still wrapped in bandages.

The sight of that made a big smile spread across Jimin's face, a surge of energy and excitement began to flow through his veins and soul,- all throughout his very being. His friend had come back! A friend he had made on his own, a friend that came back to him.

Jimin practically flew to the window, if he had wings, he was sure that he would have. In the same fashion, he threw the window open, beaming down at the dog. "Puppy!" he exclaimed, holding out his hand once again, just to make sure it would remember who he was. "You came back! I was starting to think you wouldn't!"

It sniffs, sticking its snout to his hand. Licking it gently, the creature simply lying down at the base of the window.

"Right...," he sighed, moving to sit criss-cross on the floor, pulling his hand back for a second only to put it on top of the dog's head, scratching from the fur just behind his nose, all the way up to behind his ears, repeating the motion slowly over and over. "I keep forgetting you can't talk back to me..,- and that you can't understand me." Jimin sighs, "I'll just hush up now."

The dog turns his head, resting on its paw to stare up to him. Waiting for something.

"Or maybe you do," he smiled lightly, letting a small giggle escape from his lips. He could say whatever he wanted to the wolf, could he not? It was just an animal, it wouldn't tell anyone. Jimin purses his lips together, looking back down to meet the honey golden eyes of the wolf. They were intense, undoubtable. Something indescribably humane about them. "I didn't think you would come back," he admitted. "I,- I mean, I get you're an animal and probably don't even understand the idea of life and death, therefore probably don't understand gratitude, and probably didn't care that I tried to help,- but- but I hoped you would come back. I was sad when you were gone. You were the only friend I made that didn't work for me. Even Kookie works for me now,- so- so now he treats me like he works for me, even though I just wanted him as a friend. But he holds himself closer to a knight than my friend."

It nuzzles into his hand, and Jimin's chest pulls with warmth for some indiscernible reason. It leans back after that, nipping at the princes fingers and pushing them away. Resting on his now cold feet.

"I wish you could talk," Jimin says with a sigh. And he meant it, to have someone to talk to from the outside would be a luxury he didn't have anymore. He had riches, yes. He had fur cloaks imported from Mongolia, and rubied blouses, and silken shirts, and money, and power- but he had no freedom. He couldn't say what he pleased to whenever he wanted without consequence, couldn't leave without having to flaunt who he was,- per his father's request. Jimin wanted nothing more than to be like the wolf sat at his feet. No restraints, ability to do as one pleased,- free. But he was not, nay,- instead, he was Park Jimin, a prince. A royal he would stay. A royal he had to be.

"I envy you," he said, petting one of it's ears. "More than I think you could ever understand, puppy."

The ear twitches, and the warm scent of sugar cookies clogs Jimin's nose until he feel a little bit better. Petting the dog as the moon hangs high in the sky, and the nippily wind bites at his exposed skin. Stars staring down at him.

"You're lucky to be free, puppy," he smiled again, moving to curl up on the floor in front of the dog, the two nearly nose to nose. "And..., And to be able to run. That you can just,- go as you please. That you can do everything on your own. That you built your world instead of living in a world other's built for you," he closed his eyes with a sigh, letting the sound of crickets fill his ears. "It hurts sometimes, to take so blindly from the calloused hands that work for me. I envy you, puppy."

This makes the creature turn to him. Look over to him. Stare. Then it licks his cheek. A silent endearment.

"I wish I was normal," he admits, feeling more like the night was less of confessions to the wolf, and more so confessions to himself. That maybe saying the words out loud made them fully register in Jimin's mind. "I wish...,- I wish all of my friends weren't only my friend because they had to be. Except for Jungkook though, I suppose, we've been friends since we were little,- but," he bit at his lips, tearing some of the skin off. "I wonder why he stuck around, much why I am wondering why you came back. I have nothing to offer. I am not the smartest, nor the most talented. I know nothing of doctoring, nothing of politics, nothing of the world. I have nothing to share with you aside from the things people have shared with me."

The wolf, of course, does not answer. Yet sugar cookies are once again prevalent in the air, and Jimin calms. Eyes drooping. The wolf stands, sitting to where Jimin's head could fall onto the furrier one.

"You're too kind," he mutters, letting his head adjust to laying on the big dog's torso. ",- I should check your bandage...," he muttered, feeling of sleepiness beginning to over take him. "I don't think I cleaned it right...,"

The wolf's tail wraps around him. There's an exhale, and then a lick to his cheek. An order to sleep, probably.

"You'll catch a cold with an open window." he hums, body feeling heavier with every second. "I,- shouldn't be this tired, I need to put out my lantern."

A huff, the room goes dark. The dog curling around him and his body warming. Had the puppy put out the light? He didn't know. He didn't dwell. Dwelling brought forth more questions than there needed to be.

"Thank you." he muttered, before his body fully fell into sleep. However, despite previous thoughts,- deep down he knew he was already thinking far too much about his current situation.

~

The stuff I have written in this fic makes me slightly uncomfortable. I'm going to put trigger warnings on the chapters with sensitive content, because I find that such parts of the story are important to the ideal of this,- post apocalyptic world that has basically relapsed in time.  I also feel that, more importantly, they show parts of the characters that help to better express the issues and characteristics that they might show. I don't want to take it out, because I feel that without it, the story has the same boring feeling throughout each chapter, and that we need a new set of actions to keep us moving forwards. - Zepp {01|22|21}

gonna be honest not a single word ive read for the past eight hours has comprehended in my mind. thats promising because i just talked and read things for the past eight hours - tae {idk man the 23 i think}