A Take For Two

Chapter Two

Jimin listens, his legs unable to carry him much longer as he reaches for a chair. The air in his lungs slowly empties itself as he thinks about what Hoseok is implying. Taehyung was born and taken away from his parents straight away. He was replaced, and the replacement happened to be Jimin. "Then, who am I?" He dares to ask, and they all turn to him, forgetting that he was there in the first place.

Hoseok waves him off. "I'm not sure where the carrier had gotten you. A servant's boy maybe. An orphan. Who knows?" Who knows? The words cut him open as soon as they leave Hoseok's mouth. He's a no one. No family, no nothing. He's not even sure if his birthday is correct, and all that he owns now is a name given to him by the king and queen, who was meant for Taehyung. He's a no one.

"So, you're basically saying that the damned carrier failed to bring me to you, and thus, making me suffer a life of a servant living in the same cursed castle while I was supposed to be living as a prince?" Taehyung pulls his hand back, and Jungkook mentally winces for him. Hoseok offers no reply to that, merely a shrug, and Taehyung laughs at that with a shake of his head. "Well, where's this legendary dragon egg?" Jungkook looks at his friend in concern knowing all the anger he must feel at the moment, but he also turns to look at Jimin who's sitting there silently absorbing everything.

Hoseok gets up, disappearing somewhere, and Taehyung turns to look at Jimin who doesn't dare to look back. When he gets back, there's a big box in his hands that he wipes the dust off it before handing it over to Taehyung. The latter opens it, and Jungkook can see it too, the one lonely dragon egg that he's never dreamed to see in his entire life. "There's a ritual to hatch it though," Hoseok informs him. "A ritual of blood and fire." Taehyung traces the egg with his fingers. "I have never seen it with my own eyes. Never lived that long to see an actual dragon, so it can be a sacrifice."

"I'll do it," Taehyung decides as he looks up at him. He's got nothing to lose anyway. If fire can't harm him, he will be fine. A blood loss is no match for having a dragon by his side.

"Very well then," Hoseok smirks. "I'll be preparing for it," he pauses. "You might want to rest, you've been through a long journey. There's a spare room that I keep right on the left," he points at the stairs.

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The cold is unforgiven, but the snow catching on his skin making the fire inside of him burn no less. His fingertips are numb, his cloak is opened slightly to let more snow hit his skin, and he wishes he can die already. He's no soldier, nor had he learned to excel in a certain skill. All he knows is tales about dragons that are now gone to waste.

"Jimin?" His name is called but he barely moves, head resting on the harsh rock surface of the mountain until his vision clears and Jungkook stands in front of him with a frown on his face. "You'll freeze to death," he scolds him, eyes searching his numb body before he dusts the snow off him and closes his cloak on him.

"Will be less of a burden then," he replies, and Jungkook's brows draw in deeper as he looks at his face. "You wasted your lifetime saving me."

"I did not," Jungkook denies. "You're still my king."

"I'm no king, Jungkook," he scoffs. "You've seen it, too. Taehyung's skin doesn't burn. We both have been living in a lie created by Hoseok because of his failed plan! Once Taehyung hatches the egg and return to the city, everyone will kneel before him, hailing the new king." Jungkook doesn't reply to that, knowing his words are a fact. "The first one being my brother," he mumbles. "If I dare call him as such."

"It doesn't mean to waste your life."

"For what shall I live?"

"You're still my friend," Jungkook replies. "And I don't want you dead." Jimin sighs, averting his gaze to the snow once more. "Now, come on, you'll freeze to death," he pulls at his arm as he repeats his words from earlier, and despite not wanting to, Jimin knows in the back of his mind that Jungkook wouldn't mind carrying him inside if he rejected the invitation even if he's injured, and a smile almost reaches his lips but it doesn't. So, he sighs again, allowing to be pulled inside the house once more.