Jimin's scent grew stronger and stronger with each step Hoseok took; the childish omega's scent was as sweet as vanilla, so it was hard to confuse with just any other scent out there, that's why Hoseok just knew he sensed another alpha. One side of the alpha longed to see Jimin hanging around with another omega who had to wash off an alpha's scent, but as soon as Hoseok grew closer to the river, he began to doubt that. Deep down, Hoseok just wanted Jimin to be alone, but even he couldn't believe in such a thought.
"Ah- you're playing too rough!" Jungkook called out as he watched the omega giggle and push him around once more. "Your strength is impressive for an omega," Jungkook laughed. Before Jimin could attempt to push him to the water once more, he wrapped his arms around Jimin and kept him still. "The fact that you are determined to knock me down, amazes me, Jimin."
"You're cheating! I didn't say you could hold me down!" Jimin giggled, gripping onto Jungkook's waist and attempting to tackle him onto the water. "How is a commoner this strong?!" Jimin wondered and grunted as he tried to push the alpha down. "Ah-Ah you're too strong to pin!"
"Give in already," Jungkook whispered and looked down to see Jimin shake his head and keep pushing to knock him over. "Don't hurt yourself.."
"The only one that will be hurt is you!" Jimin continued. Although, Jungkook only smiled and continued to hug the omega and keep him locked into his arms.
Hoseok watched the two from behind a tree and tilted his head to see that Jimin was only playing with this alpha other than flirting with him. A voice in Hoseok's mind demanded him to interfere, but then, he just began to believe that Jimin was only trying to be equal to the alpha and try to pin him down like any other, right? Hoseok was aware of Jimin's knack for equality and wondered if this was it, trying to challenge an alpha so he could feel better about himself. Yet, the fiancé wasn't too naive to believe it entirely.
"H-How...How many rice sacks do you carry?!" Jimin hissed as his face grew red from all of the effort he gave to pin Jungkook down.
"I guess a few? I can't tell, hunting helps too!" Jungkook replied and finally looked down to see Jimin struggling. "Alright, stop... you're making me sad."
"J-Just as I pla-planned..." Jimin replied breathlessly until Jungkook placed his hand over Jimin's head and pushed him back gently. "I almost had it!"
"Watch and learn. If you want to take down any alpha, you focus on the legs," Jungkook mentioned and pointed to the back of his knees right above the calves. "Push these in and you'll be set," the king added as Jimin giggled and covered his face. "What's so funny?"
"You are teaching me how to take an alpha down when I can't go against them," Jimin said and brushed a few strands of his hair back. "There's no way I can pick a fight with one!"
"Then, take this as a lesson to defend yourself. Not all alpha's are good, they're very strong but maybe you can learn to protect yourself well."
Jimin's eyes began to gleam in sight of Jungkook's. The idea of being taught at least a weakness of an alpha, made Jimin feel excited to learn more from the alpha.
"Yeong-Hwa, I would love it if you can show me how to defend myself. No one has ever taught me anything about that," Jimin said. The omega then stood straight and watched how Jungkook approached him to demonstrate.
The King held Jimin in place by his arms as he began to move his leg in to bend Jimin's knee forward. Jungkook held the omega so he wouldn't fall back during the demonstration, but Jimin couldn't focus at all; he was whipped by Jungkook's gentle arms wrapping around his smaller frame. The feeling of having the alpha this close against his body, distracted Jimin from everything else. Jungkook began to notice every little detail in Jimin's eyes, his lips, and his nose when he held the omega close for that split second.
They looked into each other's eyes and with that, Jungkook was instantly overwhelmed with guilt. Guilt began to bite it's way through his skin and it seemed to irritate him. Deep down, he disliked the sound of his fake name being uttered from Jimin's pink lips. Yet, he also longed to embrace the halcyon feeling of freedom. Jimin couldn't see Jungkook differently as king since he was hidden in his disguise. But in another world, Jungkook would have introduced himself as king to his muse without fear of having Jimin use him. The king only longed to find love through someone, not have their feelings influenced by his title.
"Alright, show me what you've learned," Jungkook said with a smile. "You can do it."
With seconds sliding past them after, Jimin didn't hesitate longer to finally shoot his leg past Jungkook and pull it back behind Jungkook's left knee. With pressure building on the back of the king's knee, Jungkook finally fell forward onto the water so suddenly.
"AH-" Jungkook let out a short shout until he fell onto the water with his eyes sewn shut. "Ah- you did good... Just do it a little quicker and you got it."
"Really?! Thank you, Yeong-Hwa, I really appreciate it!" Jimin replied. Just as Hoseok mouthed the words of Jungkook's fake name to himself, the eyes of the fiancé widened as he watched Jimin sit in the river with the 'commoner' and raise his hands to his wet hair where his brooch sat.
"What are you doing?" Jungkook wondered and watched Jimin remove his brooch and finally hand it out to the alpha.
"I finally know what to give you, Yeong-Hwa. This is my favorite brooch and I want you to remember me by when you see it," Jimin answered. The older boy held Jungkook's hand to place the brooch within the palm of his hand. "You are not to reject this gift and you are to take very good care of it."
Jungkook observed the brooch; his eyes focused on only the finest gems and crystals that were attached to the item. This was a very valuable and expensive brooch to Jimin and the king knew it. Yet, he couldn't accept the fact that an omega in a high class would ever give something so beautiful, so rare, to a 'commoner' he barely knew.
"This is too much, Jimin. I-"
"Stop, don't try to back out of this now. You're an amazing alpha; so special, so charming... I want you to keep it no matter what, if you keep it, it will make me the happiest little omega there ever was."
The tall alpha gawked at the brooch and finally accepted it. His muse has given him a rare piece of his life and the king has never felt so honored. Jungkook blushed and looked at the brooch in his hands until he looked up at Park Jimin. This time, Jimin looked more charming than ever, he was beautiful on the inside and the outside. Only now, Jungkook longed to keep everything in its place forever.
With that, Hoseok finally backed away after watching over the two and walked with silence screaming louder in his head. The alpha's mind filled with many things about Jimin that now, he couldn't even see the omega the same. On his way out of the omega river, Hoseok stepped over the umbrella pieces he broke earlier and began to make his way back to the village. No longer having the heart to watch over Jimin like before. It was obvious Jimin wanted nothing to do with his fiancé since they barely knew anything about each other at the end of the day.
"I don't think I could ever top a gift like this one... It's too valuable to give away, Jimin," Jungkook said, holding the brooch in concern. "If you marry and we part ways, would you ever want this back?"
"Would you want your paintings back?" Jungkook's muse asked in return. "You wouldn't, would you? Keep it, I insist."
"I've never been given such a lovely gift like this. Jimin, you really are different compared to the other omegas," Jungkook wondered, gazing into Jimin's eyes. "You're one of a kind. A beautiful soul that shines within."
"I guess I just see the world differently..." Jimin responded. With that, silence flowed through the river between them and as one thing led to another, Jungkook felt Jimin's hand lock onto his underwater. The swan let out a sigh of relief as they looked up at the skies above together. "I want us to be friends even until I get married. Since I don't have a choice in marriage, I want a choice in who I want in my life and who I don't want in my life... I want you to stay, Yeong-Hwa. You make me feel independent and you take me seriously. That's all I ever wanted from any other alpha."
"Jimin..." Jungkook thought in his head and looked down at their hands just locked underwater. "Do you want me to stay?"
"I don't want you to just stay, I want you to be in my life permanently... I want you to be my friend forever... ugh this is so confusing," Jimin repeated and let out a chuckle right after. "I'm sorry, I get too personal with you even if we just met, but with that, I felt as if I know enough to say, I don't want you to go. I will have to leave soon again and meet with my parents, but when I am with them, the weather isn't as nice as this, the world isn't as bright as this. Your views matter to me even if we live in a world where no one is equal." Jimin mentioned and finally pulled his hand back before standing up. "You're a good man, Yeong-Hwa... I hope we have more time to be ourselves together and stay as friends."
Jungkook was at a loss for words, it was obvious Jimin was an artist with his words. They grew such a deep bond, but Jungkook couldn't sugarcoat a thing. The younger was a desperate boy looking for companionship, but he chose to wait with Jimin; the king chose to wait out and know more of the omega every morning, yet, it didn't mean Jungkook didn't feel the same way. Jungkook was falling head over heels for the omega. He wanted Jimin in many ways and wanted to kiss him every waking morning. Jungkook was desperate for love, but he knew he couldn't force himself onto Jimin, almost anything could happen but the king knew for sure, to never confuse love with Jimin's kindness.
"Right..." Jungkook whispered after. It took so much for the alpha to hold himself back from telling the omega who he was, but he couldn't be so sure. Jungkook wanted true love so much, he had to wait instead of rushing in at first sight.
That night, Jungkook held Jimin's brooch with many thoughts flooding his mind. Tonight, he strayed away from talking to Yoongi, the king knew if he was to tell Yoongi about this, the alpha would only pressure him to confess too soon. So far, Jungkook felt as if he had to push himself away from the idea of love to find more about Jimin. Just a few days weren't enough, just a small touch wasn't enough. Deep down, Jungkook was afraid to rush love even if he was desperate, the king longed to have someone he truly loved to rule by his side, not a short infatuation towards an engaged omega. At the end of the day, Jungkook was only trying to save himself from any heartbreak. The king would rather stay alone than love someone so soon. While his heavy thoughts soon cradled him to sleep, they began to flood his dreams as well. As silent the king was, he had no escape from his true feelings about rushing things with the young omega.
In his dream, he walked around the courtyard of the palace with his commoner disguise. The palace was oddly empty with no guards protecting him at all. With silence echoing along the palace walls, Jungkook stopped by his sleeping chamber to see the side of his bed that was always empty, filled by the omega himself. The atmosphere was dark all around him until he found Jimin, light filled the room entirely and his heart grew warm with every beat. Jungkook gazed upon Jimin's sleeping body over the bed within his room and let out a sigh.
"His lips, his gentle eyes weighing in closed, his pale skin and his gentle grace. I want forever with you but I'm so afraid..." Jungkook whispered and approached the sleeping omega over his bed. "I'm afraid of changing everything we've had... The longer I fall into our friendship, the harder it takes to tell you everything... I don't want you to love the King, I want you to love Jungkook. So, I have to bear my desperate wishes until I know it's mutual. Infatuation, patience... a scary feeling."
With his own voice echoing, he softly caressed Jimin's sleeping face and tilted his head, "but don't you worry, I'll tell you. I'll tell you when the time is right... Just not now. Soon, when I don't fear losing you, I'll tell you. If we rush... what will come out of it at the end?"