It was an adjustment.
It took months.
Jungkook was sick almost every day, his body adjusting to not being able to use an ability. His body was not used to having to change everyday, now forced to stay in its original form. For years, he’d been hiding behind his shell, and now he had no barrier to hide behind.
His mind kept grasping for strings that were no longer there.
And it wasn’t just getting used to not being able to change his form upon will.
But also work on his self esteem.
It was okay that he looked such a way.
It was okay that he was now powerless.
It was okay to rely on others.
It was okay to open up to others.
Jungkook spent a lot of time alone in his room, not even letting Yoongi or Hoseok in.
Jimin stayed in his room, too.
He never left, constantly sobbing and crying, horrified at himself, his body, for doing such a thing to his brother. Such an unimaginable thing. An ability was an extension of the soul. And Jimin had ripped half of Jungkook’s soul from his body.
He would have to live with that knowledge for the rest of his life.
That he was the reason his brother would always be crippled, that courtiers would now stare at him, that he was what society looked down upon.
Powerless.
And it was all his fault.
Months passed.
Months of sorrow filled, tear stained nights.
Namjoon tried his best to comfort Jimin.
Yoongi and Hoseok tried to get through to Jungkook.
Jungkook was the first to crack.
One day he just opened his bedroom door, the two men having been sitting out there like usual, all day and night, not wanting to do anything but make sure that the prince was okay. The prince had opened the door, just a crack, only so that the two men could see one eye, his body hidden behind the door.
“Jungkook…” Yoongi whispered, reaching forward, but the door shut just as quickly as it had opened, leaving the two men dejected once more.
The next day the door opened again. And Jungkook found himself letting the two men into his room, but hid under a mountain of blankets. “Jungkook...it’s okay.” Hoseok whispered gently. “We don’t care what you look like, how your body is. You’re beautiful. Perfect, just the way you are.”
“How are you?” Yoongi pressed as well. “Are you okay?”
Jungkook shook his head. “Jimin hates me now.” Jungkook whispered.
The two men exchanged an astonished look. “Of course he doesn’t.” Hoseok instantly denied. “Jimin locks himself in his room, ridden with guilt. H-he...he thinks you hate him now. B-because of how...your ability…” Hoseok trailed off, knowing how sensitive the subject must be.
“I-I forced him to do it...b-but now I-I’m like this and no one loves me—“
“That is not true.” Yoongi said, his voice suddenly turning flat and had. “Don’t you ever say that, ever again Ju Kook. I don’t want you to even think it. Don’t. I can see it in your eyes that you don’t believe me, but you are beautiful in every shape and form, and anyone would be an idiot not to love you.”
“But—“
“Stop.” Hoseok and Yoongi sandwiched Jungkook between them, looking down at the prince. Hoseok cupped Jungkook’s cheek in his hand and sighed. “Why do you think no one loves you?”
“No one can love me like this.”
“I love you like this.” Yoongi whispered back. “I love you.”
Jungkook’s breath hitched and he slowly looked up at a Yoongi, feeling tears prick his eyes.
“And I love you, too.” Hoseok said as well.
Jungkook’s head slowly turned, and this time, he let the tears fall, small sniffles filling the room as he cried quietly.
Hoseok moved first, gently leaning down and attaching his lips to Jungkook’s in a sweet kiss. They’d kissed many times before, but this one was so much more special than any of the others had ever been.
When Hoseok pulled away, Yoongi turned Jungkook and kissed him as well. “We both love you, with all our hearts, and don’t ever think otherwise.”
“I-I…” Jungkook released a choked sob. “I-I l-l-love y-you b-both s-s-so m-much!” He finally managed between cries, yelling it out into the room for all to hear. The two men descended on the young prince, pressing small kisses to his face murmuring small words of love and comfort.
Everything would be okay.
-
“Dove…”
“Leave me alone, Namjoon.” The queen whispered, digging his face further into the pillow. Beside him, his son gurgled and rolled around on the bed.
It was Jimin’s only source of comfort these days. The queen stayed bedridden, only seeming to resemble a living being when his son was around. He gently held out his hand, giving a ghost of a smile when Jin-ho grabbed his pointer finger, swaying it around gently as his wide eyes studied the much larger limb.
But the moment was over far too soon, a maid coming in to give Jin-ho a bath, Jimin too ill to get out of bed. The man had so much guilt he’d made himself sick, an invalid, unable to move or function really.
Namjoon was heartbroken to see his husband crumble and fall like this. He would’ve done everything possible to keep his husband alive, but is this what he really wanted?
A knock on the door suddenly distracted him from the thoughts that plagued his mind every day. He slowly got up and walked over, cracking the door open.
Namjoon hadn’t left his rooms much in the past few months, staying by his husband’s side. Having maids bring paperwork to him and having Jin and Taehyung run court and public appearances.
He couldn’t leave Jimin alone.
So when he opened the door to find Jungkook’s tanning here, looking at his feet, he felt his jaw drop in shock. “J-Jungkook…” a pang of his own guilt coursed through the king this time. He’d never actually properly apologized to the prince for accusing him of kidnapping his own brother and throwing him in a cell. But with everything that had happened...Namjoon could see that that was the last thing on anybody’s minds.
Jungkook slowly pushed passed Namjoon and the king took the hint, sliding out of the room and shutting the door behind him.
Jungkook took a deep breath and walked over to Jimin, sitting on the edge of the bed. The queen was facing away from him, and sighed, feeling the dip of the bed. “Namjoon…”
“I’m sorry.” Jungkook suddenly whispered. Jimin whipped around, his eyes wide. The queen sat up and let out a cry at the sight of his brother, pulling Jungkook into a hug, not letting the prince utter another word.
He began to sob, clutching onto Jungkook’s shirt, sobbing now. Sobbing out how sorry he was, how much he hated his gift, how much he hated what he’d done to Jungkook.
But Jungkook gently grabbed his wrists, pulling Jimin's attention to him. “Hyung.” He whispered. “I don’t blame you. I knew what I was doing, and I gave it up willingly. To save you. So that you could live your life happily with your husband and your son.”
“B-But—“
“I’m not going to lie and say everything’s okay. Because it’s not.” Jungkook continued. “But I want you to know that I...I have already accepted it. And I’m learning to live with it. And I have...people who love and support me, and as long as you’re there for me...then you have nothing to be sorry for. I just...I don’t want to live with this sorrow anymore. I want to move on, live life to the fullest. I want to see you running around in the gardens, laughing with Namjoon Hyung, swinging Jin-ho around...I want that for you. So please, stop crying.”
“I-I took it from you...I-I—“
“I don’t blame you. I don’t hold anything against you. It was I who did it. I did it freely, of my own volition. Please...let us move on, live our lives. Live your life, as I will live mine. Do this...for us?”
Jimin took awhile. But eventually he finally nodded.
“For us.” He whispered.
Fin.