Jungkook laid in bed once the night grew near, he spent the day in his room 'recovering' and the following day, he had a selection to attend. Yet, he couldn't stop thinking about his swan and how worried he was about Jimin returning home for the first time in a few days. He knew it was too obvious that Jimin would be with an alpha during his heat throughout those specific days and expected his family to know why he was missing. But the constant fear the omega had over returning, sickened the alpha with worry.
"Oh, Jimin... just say the word and I will marry you, we'll be together like we should and you wouldn't have to suffer! Why do you love to suffer so much?" Jungkook asked himself as he laid in bed and hoped to have Jimin rest by his side. "My bed was filled for the last few nights but now, it's empty and it feels much bigger now," spoke the king and ran his hand along his own arm to mimic the way Jimin would touch him.
Just as he tried to mimic the way Jimin would touch him, his mind flashed moments of Jimin's behavior in his head. He remembered how nervous the omega seemed when he couldn't keep something of the alpha to leave him satisfied, he also recalled how clingy Jimin became and only questioned the nights he spent with the omega overall.
"Something happened..." Jungkook whispered and ran his hand through his long hair that beamed underneath the moonlight. "Something had to have happened that made him feel so attached to me." Once Jungkook pondered the idea further, he suddenly remembered when Jimin refused to be touched on his neck and hid it underneath the collar of his upper coat. "Did I....hurt him? Did I really hurt him? If only I could remember what really happened throughout those four days..."
As time slipped by him, he found himself sleeping alone with thoughts that tended to linger around. Jungkook couldn't help but to think he harmed the omega and made him fear the emperor, but knowing how caring and thoughtful Jimin was, Jimin only brushed the action aside and treated it as water under the bridge. Yet, this was what the alpha believed, he believed Jimin was truly hiding what he knew deep down.
When morning came around, Taehyung was told that Jimin finally returned home after those long days that stretched out like an eternity. The young omega smiled at the thought of his good friend returning and had to pay a visit. The young boy raced the entrance of the house and greeted the silent servants that carried many words with the noise of their silence.
Not only the servants were silent, but the mother and Jihyun were both removed from the world after what they witnessed just the day before. They never expected to see Jimin cry and scream like that, it left them thinking of many things after Jimin was forced to cut his beautiful hair off. The servants were silent upon Taehyung's arrival and only guided him to the older omega's room silently. Not wanting to alarm the minister at all.
Once Taehyung stepped into the room, his eyes locked onto Jimin laying in bed and facing the opposite side of his room. The atmosphere was thick and dull, it only left the boy to question what had happened to make his cheerful friend feel so quiet and upset.
"Did someone die? Everyone is so quiet today, not even the servants greeted me or announced my arrival!" Taehyung mentioned and stepped in before sliding the bedroom door closed. "Jimin, are you alright? When your father told Namjoon that you have returned, I raced here to see you! You won't tell anyone where you've been, but I know you'll tell me, right? I promise I'll keep it a secret!"
With the sound of Taehyung's youthful voice illuminating the room, Jimin sat up with one hand over the same neck he concealed from Jungkook before. By then, Taehyung noticed Jimin's short hair and gasped at the sight of it.
"J-Jimin, you're hair! H-How, w-why?" Sputtered the boy and watched Jimin look down and slowly remove his hand from his exposed neck, revealing a bite mark. However, it wasn't just any bite mark, this was none other than a mating mark; a significant mark made between an alpha and an omega that binded them for an eternity. "Jimin..." spoke Taehyung into a gasp as his hands covered his own mouth at the sight of the omega's mating mark. "You... you-"
"Yes, I know..." Jimin whispered into a sigh as his eyes began to water. "I-I was claimed..." Jimin cried softly and covered his face in embarrassment.
"Jimin, by who? Who were you with for those days you were missing?!" Taehyung questioned and approached the omega to rest his hand over his shoulders. The sight of the omega's state frightened the boy, it was as if he watched Jimin slowly break down before him and it felt like knives to his heart.
"The commoner..." Jimin whispered and slowly met eyes with the omega to see his reaction.
"Yeong-Hwa?!"
"No... Ah, I haven't told you anything, haven't I?" Jimin asked and glided his finger along the unique dents to his mating mark. "You may not believe me at first when I say he lied about who he was. He's not a commoner, his name is not really Yeong-Hwa... his name is Jeon Jungkook, the King."
"Wh-What?" Taehyung asked and tilted his head before caressing the side of Jimin's face carefully. "Sweetie, are you okay? You do know what you're saying, right?"
"I'm not lying, Taehyung... I've seen the King, I've been with him during his rut at the palace, that's why the selection for those days were cancelled! I've been with him since the very beginning and I know it's hard to believe, but it's true... I've been keeping my relationship with him as a secret for so long, but now I can't hide it from you," Jimin whispered as he began to cry. "He claimed me during the rut and now I don't know what to do!"
Taehyung found it difficult to believe Jimin, but that didn't mean that he was going to turn the other cheek on his close friend. The young omega moved in and gave Jimin a hug, running his hand along the older omega's back and offering his shoulder for Jimin to cry on.
"Jimin, it's okay... you'll get through this!"
"I don't know what to do! My emotions are driving me insane, my father is too possessive over me, and I can't stand the thought of being away from Jungkook... he's my alpha now and I had no say in this! Of course we're together and of course I want him as much as he wants me, but I don't even remember telling him to give this to me! It was my turn to choose and it feels like I've been lied to!" Jimin complained until he began to let out loud sobs into the younger's shoulder. "It's like I've been robbed of my happiness, my own luxury of having a say in things, all gone now!"
"Shhh, Jimin, please... don't beat yourself up over this, you'll talk to him about this right? You have to let him know. Communication is key! You can't keep hiding this from him, he has the right to know. He could be feeling drawn to you like this but not know what it is, you could be driving him insane by not telling him!"
"I-I can't tell him!" Replied the omega and pressed his forehead against Taehyung's shoulder. "What if he blames himself and I get him upset? What if we argue and I grow helpless?"
"Stop, no," Taehyung assured and cupped Jimin by his face to look him in the gleaming eyes. "You two are not animals... I'm sure the King isn't immature, if you value each other, the two of you can talk it out together."
The boy was right, Jimin looked at the young omega and let out a smile through his tears as he hugged Taehyung for a while longer. At times, Jimin knew he was thankful for a friend like him, it was enough to ease his worries, but still, deep down in the hollow, he yearned for clarity. Even if he didn't have a say in when Jungkook marked him and created a bond that sealed the two forever, Jimin knew that no one was at fault. Their minds were clouded and only so much could be recalled.
"I've heard many stories from the omegas down at the river talking about how charming he is! Why won't the two of you marry? Unless, you want to be his concubine as he picks his new omega to marry..."
"Taehyung! Ah, he doesn't want to marry me until I say so. He listens to me, he cares about my voice being heard, and he gave me the call to marry him when I'm ready. And I am not his concubine!" Jimin replied and finally began to feel at ease after talking to the omega about his issues. "I have a say in when we marry, I just love the idea of having a say in things. Of course, I won't rush it now, we are still learning many things about each other as we walk."
Taehyung smiled at the older omega as he couldn't help but to throw his arm around the older's shoulder while they sat together. In between the silence, Taehyung let out a chuckle and faced the omega with a smile over his beautiful face.
"So... how big is he?"
"He's very tall and-" abruptly, Jimin silenced himself and suddenly shoved the young omega away. "Stop asking such questions, Taehyung! Ah, you really are crazy, aren't you?"
"I was only joking! Although, the omegas by the river love to gossip. It's weird how a king like him doesn't have a concubine. Hey, Jimin? I wouldn't mind being his concubine once the two of you marry-"
"Enough with the jokes!" Jimin laughed and covered his face from the constant jokes Taehyung teased about. "He's very different, he has never had any interest in a concubine, many other alphas would have the option as King, but he chose not to."
"He must have been a very lonely King before he met you, I would be excited if I were you, this changes so much!" Taehyung continued and eyed Jimin's mating mark once more. The unique dents and the bloody cavities placed into his pale skin, made Taehyung raise a brow at the sight. This was his first time seeing a fresh mark and it was enough to make him worry for Jimin's safety when it came to his fiancé, Jung Hoseok.
"Don't stare at it too long, it gets me nervous..." Jimin whispered and looked down at the ground before Taehyung could bring up another conversation.
"Jimin, did it hurt?"
"I... I can't recall the moment when it happened, but I know for sure when I woke up yesterday morning, blood stained onto my pale skin. It was as if I grabbed a knife and engraved a few marks onto my neck. It hurts when I'm far from him. Each mark is unique and some omegas can take days away from their alpha, but my mark... it's stubborn. Maybe it's because I was just claimed recently, and I'm still sensitive, but the feeling is unbearable and it comes in every moment,"
"What about Hoseok? What will he do if he sees the mark on you? What will your father do?" Taehyung wondered and held Jimin's hand gently to rub his thumb along his knuckles. "It scares me to even think about what they would do to you, you're like an older brother to me! I can't sit by and watch them hurt you. Who knows what your father did to your hair!"
"My father didn't cut my hair, I did. I cut it off to free myself from him. But it also gave everyone the idea that I am no longer pure," Jimin answered and held Taehyung's hand within his own. "I'll call you my brother," spoke the omega as he thought of an answer to Taehyung's burning question. "And as my brother, I don't know what the future holds, so I can't answer that question."
"It's fine by me," Taehyung replied and played with Jimin's short hair. "Have you taken an elixir after your heat with the King? You can't have a pup right now, bringing one into this world as you fight off many things could be stressful. My father has spare ones in his room; as a doctor, he gives them to omega's who need them. They're very effective."
"He can't know that I've had sex before marriage!"
"Calm down, I'll sneak one out for you and if he asks, I'll just say Namjoon was playing around and got careless. You know how Namjoon is, he's a very destructive guy!" Taehyung lightened up the situation and put the omega at ease. Even if Jimin was marked by Jeon Jungkook and his bond with the king deepened, Jimin felt a strong brotherly bond with Taehyung and he couldn't have been any more relieved of the stress that was weighing him down from before.