GLAMOUR, GLITTER, GLORY //JIKOOK

CHAPTER 5 (ii): THE ONE POWERFUL, IS WEAK

"jimin."

jungkook tests the name on his tongue, and decides it's simple enough. busan enough. pretty, enough. he licks his lips, face morphing into a frown when he gets the burst of vanilla. "oh god, you and your scent-"

"yours too." jimin cuts him off, "yours too." he repeats: short palms holding his turmeric cloth, covering his nose.

jungkook tries controlling it, as far as he has learnt: but there's hardly any change in the omega's reaction. is it really that vivid? "i thought i knew how to control it," jungkook decides it's because of the 𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘨𝘢's pheromones messing his sanity up, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 he 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 remembers the first time he pointed it out the omega- or, jimin, he looked crestfallen by the fact that it was not liked by someone, anyone.. so he doesn't mention it.

instead, jungkook asks, "are you in pain?" because the omega massages his ankle, holding the door for support. the aroma turns more sour at jungkook's question, and he briefly wonders if he will ever find a way around the smaller man, even though they practically just met. "i'm fine enough," jimin answers curtly, and it takes all for jungkook to swallow his pride to be responded like that.

redemption, is something 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 asked from the crown prince; and indignation is something never- or 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺, received by the crown prince: courtesy of his father.

for an omega to challenge for both, and making his.. everything, go haywire to even think straight, he wonders if he really knows who the man is.

after losing seokjin and meeting taehyung, he crawled. his eyes drooped, and his back hurt- however, he 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 the deep gash on his bicep when he finally had to put most of his weight on it. how he got it, he has no idea. just like he has no idea how he reached here.

the omega says he, himself, came in front of his house. 𝘩𝘶𝘵. but he was in the fringes of the 𝘥𝘢𝘦𝘨𝘶 population, and in the middle of kim's royal guards. hell, he had taehyung's infamous sword on his neck, ready to slice a king- as is the silver used to. nothing less of a king is savoured by the blade, and it strips jungkook of his ego and be thankful all at the same time that he isn't a king yet: or the litchis must drip from it's tip.

"what is your name?" omega dares ask, looking on the verge of regret, or simply tired of everything. well, jungkook decides he has been difficult. but, "you don't know my name?" jungkook's eyes widen, incredulous. he coughs when the omega's expression hardly bears a change. "jungkook. i want to bath," he didn't want it to sound like an order, but that is the tone he's used to. probably when the water is up to his neck, and he doesn't need to worry about controlling his scent- he can let his mind wonder. which he needs terribly right now, as a new question has joined his previous tier of usuals, how, what, why's: the omega doesn't know him? the next king of his land? who was determined a decade ago, no less?

"you can't, not possible to go to the river when the war is about to begin. we have to collect water at night, but i couldn't. we have to use yesterday's remains." jungkook scrunches his nose. never in his life he has started his day without the water and rose petals, while his clothes are held outside by the maid. "i did wipe you down, alpha," jimin answers like he didn't want to, but ultimately did. like he's tired of weighing his options when he should be the one in control.

jungkook opens his mouth, closes it. coughs. "jimin," he turns his neck to the right, not to look at the omega's reaction to call him by his name. though the turn gives a sharp reminder of sword which was digging into his juncture a few hours ago. he hisses and digs his nails near the gash. they scrap some paste, which he has no other option but to believe the omega- jimin, put on. also on the wound near his spine, which doesn't feel as worse than the back pain he gets when he has to attend royal lectures for hours straight till meal time.

"yes, alpha?" jimin holds his eyes, and the use of 'alpha' gave jungkook an answer, of a question even jungkook isn't sure of.

"where is your home?"

"sorry?"

"this place, where is it? where am- where are we?" jungkook isn't sure why he felt the need to mask his vulnerability enough to rephrase the question, but he doesn't want the omegan stranger to perceive he's scared.

jimin tilts his head, brow furrowing, "daegu outskirts, of course. near the narrow end of the river."

jungkook widens his eyes, blinks. he glances away, not knowing how to divert the omega's attention from the moment of surprise he let his features grace. he's not in busan; he's in daegu infringes. but, "what is your full name?"

jimin huffs, "i'm under no obligation to answer you."

jungkook gulps, frowning, "your name has busan ancestry, or as i have heard."

"so does your's. you're from busan, aren't you?" jimin looks visibly in distress as he says so, the potential housing of an 'enemy' under his care. unfortunate for him, all his worst fears are true.

"did you not see my armour?" jungkook asks instead, a question for a confirmation, if it helps soften the blow.

"it was covered with blood." jimin makes a face, "also, civilian forces across korea wear white, irrespective of land. i didn't see any blue on you. are you part of the busan royal arms?"

jungkook slumps. he knew the omega was oblivious, but each conversation reminds him afresh of how much. "yes, the red might have blended in with the red." jimin nods, thinking back, and averts his eyes.

jungkook eyes droop again, head feeling inflated. he never thought he could get a worse headache than the one given by economics and politics class. he had thought of going back to war, but the idea seems as faint as his will to stay awake. a voice rings in his head belatedly, telling him he's better off not knowing the omega's full name. had he had to ask back, 𝘫𝘦𝘰𝘯 jungkook might not be able to hide his identity.

he probably came as a form of death, knocking right at this omega's doorstep. the crown prince of busan, in the daegu lands. sordid. but death has to save himself before taking another. once jungkook doesn't feel like the wooden bird he broke when he was nine, he will leave. quietly, unsuspectingly, with nothing but gratefulness for the omega.

"let me stay here," jungkook starts; adds, "please. help me hide. i'll leave as soon as possible. without-" coughs. "without trouble. i need to find my brother." jungkook closes his eyes.

he hears shuffles, shifting. light footsteps. and suddenly a cold rag is placed on the top of his head. "the fever is coming back it seems."