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Jungkook loved watching Jimin sleep.
It was the only time he looked relaxed and unguarded, with a tenderness that always took Jungkook’s breath away. At night, he didn’t look like Jimin the Dragon King, the busiest, fairest ruler on this side of the world, but an ethereal being; the dreams Jungkook wish he had instead of the nightmares that flooded his subconscious nightly.
Jimin groaned softly. Jungkook’s head perked up, eyes catching the king’s languid form under the morning light. The bare, dewy skin on his back seemed to glow.
“Jimin?” he whispered.
His king rolled over with a lazy flutter of his eyelids.
“Jungkook,” he murmured, a slow smile stretching across his face as he gazed down at the floor next to him. “My great dragon.”
His great dragon.
Jungkook never liked this daily reminder, and he never liked the twinge of pain in his chest that came with the knowledge that he could never completely have the one thing, one person , dearest to him in the entire world; no matter how much he loved him.
Jimin reached a hand out. Jungkook instinctively raised his head, extending his long neck and resting his chin against edge of the mattress. Jimin’s fingers ran over Jungkook’s shimmering black scales with affection. His skin felt soft, so warm and wonderful as it molded against his scales. Jungkook purred.
“Did you have a nightmare again, darling?”
Jungkook shut his large serpentine eyes for a moment, suppressing a shudder as he remembered. Dragons were known to have awful dreams; vivid memories of all the horrors they’ve caused and seen with their fires. He would never wish them upon Jimin; on any human, really.
“Did you?” the dragon asked instead. “You were tossing and turning for a while.”
“Some unpleasant things, but nothing I can’t deal with,” Jimin answered, shifting onto his back and stretching his arms above his head. His eyes closed again. “I have you, don’t I, my love?”
“I’ll protect you,” Jungkook muttered. “I always do.”
“I wish I could protect you ,” Jimin sighed. “You and your brothers. I wish I could have you dream of me instead.”
“Me, too,” Jungkook responded with honesty, and let the words crush him, stepping on his heart and all the hope that came with it.
If only Jungkook weren’t a dragon.
Jimin’s breaths evened out again in slumber. Jungkook let out a long breath and shut his eyes. His last thoughts before falling back asleep were of wearing smooth, lightly tanned skin instead of iridescent black scales; of a silk tunic and leather boots instead of webbed wings and a long, heavy tail.
Warm liplocks instead of nuzzling noses, he thought drowsily, his entire soul aching for a human kiss most of all.
Jungkook awoke later that morning to an empty bed. It happened often, because Jimin busied himself with all the duties that came with being king of an entire continent, but Jungkook never liked waking up alone. He did not often take time to rest from all his kingly duties. He did everything alone.
Jimin was often asked when he was going to find a queen to split the work, and every time, Jungkook's breath hitched with anticipation of the response, even though he always knew the answer.
Married to the kingdom, he recalled, as he pulled to his feet and headed to the door left ajar.
In his fantasies, Jimin would marry him.
The large, spacious king’s tower connected to the dragon’s den via the main hall, where the conference hall was, and another wide corridor. Jungkook’s two older brothers--Yoongi and Taehyung--slept there. Jungkook was supposed to, too, but he was spoiled; he always trailed after Jimin into his chambers instead, thankful that it is large enough to house a young, still-growing dragon that was now a bit larger than a horse.
But the location of Jimin’s tower made people wary of visiting him. Only a few were unafraid of the great creatures that lumbered around--his small council, for instance, although they didn’t have much of a choice.
The bravest of the small council was Jimin’s right-hand man, the Hand of the King. Ser Namjoon, his childhood friend and older brother figure; Namjoon, who had always openly expressed his love and desire for the king; Namjoon, the knight whom everyone suspected had something going on with him. He was precious to Jimin, more than anyone, and Jungkook despised him.
No one, in his opinion, was allowed to get close to Jimin. But despite so many threatening growls, puffs of fire clouds, and snaps of his strong, angular jaw, Namjoon remained undeterred. Jimin would scold him, too, and Jungkook despised that, as well.
There were no humans in sight when he arrived to the conference hall. But he heard the chatter of Common, the language humans often spoke amongst themselves, behind the doors of the conference room. He also spotted his brothers lounging nearby--gold-scaled Taehyung against the side wall and emerald-scaled Yoongi in the middle of the floor.
Though the two loved Jimin fiercely, they were often seen in the accompaniment of other small council members. Cheerful, mischievous Taehyung liked to help the Master of Coin, Hoseok, deal with expenses, while Yoongi took a quiet but obvious liking to serious, professional Namjoon.
And if they were just lying around here, then--
“Meeting,” Yoongi spoke up, recognizing the question on the youngest’s face.
“Namjoon is in there with Jimin?” Jungkook asked, his eyes falling on the closed set of double doors at the opposite end.
“With all the other members, yes,” Yoongi responded, amused. “They are not alone, Little One. Don’t be clingy.”
“Don’t call me that,” Jungkook snarled, pouncing forward to stare threateningly at Yoongi’s face. “I’m bigger than both of you.”
Yoongi reacted with no more than a blink. He puffed billows of smoke into his face. “Yeah, yeah, only Jimin can call you that. But you’re still the baby of our litter and--”
Jungkook pushed past him with an indignant growl and plopped down closer to the door.
“Are we sure Jungkookie’s not part dog or something?” Taehyung snickered as he rolled onto his back, his long body wriggling as he rubbed his back scales against the cool, marble floor.
“You’re one to talk,” Jungkook retorted.
“At least I don’t get offended by it. Hell, you’re touchy today.”
“Jimin just makes him more childish than he already is,” Yoongi commented, curling his slender form to get comfortable. “Nothing new, Taehyung.”
“Childish,” Jungkook repeated. “But he makes me whole.”
His brothers didn’t reply this time; it seemed they couldn’t find anything to refute him with.
Jungkook rested his head against his front legs, trying listen for Jimin’s voice, trying to picture him in his chair at the head of the table. Even a serious expression on his face would be beautiful, brows gently furrowed with concentration, his plump bottom lip bitten with thought and indecision.
He tried not to picture Namjoon sitting adjacently on his right, always sneaking glances at Jimin before turning to the papers in front of him, watching his lips as he spoke, smiling when Jimin smiled.
Jungkook’s heart ached possessively.
Mine , he thought weakly, but what chances did he have? The black-scaled dragon could think of perhaps one instance where he could be human, but the stars and planets were not aligned for it. Maybe they never will.
The small council meeting finished about an hour later. None of the dragons needed to look up to know that--the doors had violently swung open, hitting the wall as Jimin stormed out.
While Yoongi and Taehyung started slightly from the sudden noise, Jungkook raised his head and stared at him hopefully, only for his expression to wane. Jimin looked livid.
The rest of the small council filed out after him, all sounding somber in their human Common language. They were not near as angry nor fast.
Jungkook stood up.
“Where are you going?” Yoongi asked warily, barely moving from his spot on the floor.
“Where do you think?”
Taehyung laughed as he rolled over to stand. “You should leave him alone. You’ll make him mad.”
“I never make him mad,” Jungkook scoffed. He held his head high as he moved past Yoongi toward the corridor that led to Jimin’s room.
He nudged the door open and entered, just in time to see Jimin sink into his desk chair, fold his arms over the tabletop, and plop his head right there to bury his face.
The dragon stared at him. “Jimin?”
“Shut the door.”
Jungkook complied with a quick swing of his tail, his worry only increasing, swelling to a protective sort of anger at whoever ruined the mood of his beautiful, precious king.
“Who?” he asked in a low voice, baring his long, sharp teeth. “Who upset you, Jimin?”
“No one,” Jimin answer, clearly a lie. His voice was cracked and soft, too ill-sounding.
“Ji--”
“Not now, my love. Please .”
Jungkook was a bit taken aback by the rejection. Jimin did not reject him. He did not often fall into silence or clipped words when it came to Jungkook. He loved him.
He refused to allow his brothers to be right, so he pressed on.
“But I want to comfort you,” Jungkook insisted. “Don’t I always make you feel better? Tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it.”
"Jungkook," Jimin said, this time looking at him with a sad sort of exhaustion.
A blood-boiling growl vibrated in Jungkook’s throat. Why? he wondered, as he began pacing in heavy circles, frustrated with both Jimin and what caused him to act this way. Why can’t it be me? Why does he want me away? Doesn’t he want me?
Jimin propped his elbows on the table and hid his eyes in his hands.
"Go find Yoongi and Taehyung, okay? I want to be alone."
“No,” Jungkook huffed stubbornly, growls turning to spoiled whines. He stamped his feet with child-like petulance. Jimin always trusted him, didn’t he? He always sought him out for his worries and problems. He was always there for him, to protect and love. Always. “Jimin…”
Jimin remained silent, facing the window in front of him; lost in his thoughts, his burdens. There were thick, invisible walls all around him and not even a great dragon like Jungkook could penetrate them.
An ache settled heavily in Jungkook’s throat and he stilled. Jimin looked twice as small and fragile, like if Jungkook so much as breathed on him, he would fall apart.
And he did not want that--ever.
How selfish was he to think of his own needs when Jimin needed to feel better?
An idea suddenly came to mind, one that burned his heart like acid, beating out his dread. There was one other person whom Jimin trusted. Maybe more than Jungkook himself--he didn’t know. He didn’t want to know.
“Do…” Jungkook murmured. “Do you want to see Namjoon?”
Jimin raised his head, eyes distant with thought. “Yes,” he sighed. “Namjoon.”
“I’ll get him.”
Jungkook didn’t wait for a response. He could barely look at Jimin now, at the softened, unreadable look on his face. He felt too crestfallen to linger.
Didn’t you want to be alone?
He hastily sauntered out of Jimin’s chambers, reminding himself to hold his head high and force the bitter churning of his belly out of his system, but he couldn’t help the fury in his steps as he approached Namjoon, who was still outside the council room chatting with Yoongi.
The knight straightened immediately, pushing himself off the wall with his shoulder. It wasn’t often Jungkook came to him out of his own free will. But whenever he did, he could guess why.
“Jungkoo--”
“The king needs you,” Jungkook cut in with his head low, serpentine eyes boring into the human’s feet.
He didn’t need to glance up to know how important Jimin’s needs were to Namjoon, that these emotions always showed plainly on his face. Jungkook knew the furrow of his brows, the worry in his frown. The dragon knew this urgency as if it were his own, and if he were human, he imagined himself doing the exact same thing.
He didn’t need to look and he didn’t want to; he refused to watch Namjoon disappear down the hall, to Jimin’s chambers; to his side.
Jungkook ignored Yoongi’s stare and trudged past him to the courtyard.
“Jungkook,” his brother spoke up. “Why are you so upset?” The laughter in his voice only exacerbated Jungkook’s mood. “They’re childhood friends. They’ve always been close.”
“Leave me alone,” Jungkook scoffed, swishing his heavy tail behind him to warn the elder.
He heard Yoongi follow for a few steps. “Jungkook,” he tried again, in a softer, and perhaps more sympathetic, voice. “Did Jimin turn you away--”
“You and Taehyung were right, okay?” Jungkook snapped, twisting his neck around to look at him. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the hall that led to Jimin. To where he and Namjoon were; alone. “Jimin doesn’t want me there. He wants that human knight by his side. Not me. It’ll never be me because I’m a damn dragon who can’t hold him at night, much less dream of him . I can’t kiss him and I can’t marry him, but Ser Namjoon probably can.”
Yoongi sighed, his older, wiser gaze unwavering and brotherly. Jungkook was not comforted. They weren’t Jimin’s eyes. “Jungkook. I know. I know what you’re feeling. But you really have to understand--”
“I do, but it hurts ,” Jungkook hissed, mouth pulled back in a bitter snarl. He could never let go of the king the way he should. He could never pull back the claws he dug into Jimin’s heart. He loved him. He. Loved. Him.
Yoongi had no more to say. He knew nothing else would give him solace. He only nodded and padded in the direction of the dragon’s den.
Jungkook turned to face front again. He could fly off to the outskirts of the capital from here if he wanted to. But he never liked straying too far from Jimin, even when angry.
So, he dragged himself to the lonesome courtyard waiting for him, the wide field darkening from the setting sky.
“There you are, my love. What are you doing all the way out here?”
The voice rang in Jungkook’s heart as it always did, lighting him brighter than the moonlit evening. But grudges were quick to coil around him again, making Jungkook huff out a small, gnarled wisp of smoke.
“Why do you care?” Jungkook said with a hmph, turning his head away as Jimin approached.
“The night’s far too beautiful for you to be so grumpy.”
The king plopped down in front of him, clean, silky, jewel-adorned outfit and all.
“You’ll get your clothing dirty, Your Grace,” Jungkook retorted.
“So be it.”
Jungkook didn’t meet Jimin’s eyes as he cupped the dragon’s face. He tried not to flinch from the very instance of his touch, sparking his scales with currents of unconditional, familiar love. His addiction.
“Have I upset my great dragon?” Jimin cooed. The pretty lilts in his voice forced Jungkook’s eyes up; he was really too weak to resist him.
Heart fluttering unwillingly, Jungkook let out a soft whine, instantly missing the praise and spoils Jimin always gave him, even if it had barely been a few hours.
“Hm?” Jimin prodded softly. “What’s wrong?”
“I just…” Jungkook snuffled. “I just wanted to be the one to make you feel better.”
Jimin giggled. Jungkook’s eyes fell on his again for a breathless second before the former leaned in to plant a kiss on his nose, right between his nostrils.
“Oh, my sweet darling baby,” Jimin whispered fondly, his sweet, warm touches roaming over his scales, his ears, the base of his horns, melting all his grudges. “You always do, Little One. Every single day.”
“But I want to be the only one...”
“Jungkook--”
“You’re mine.” There was a soft but possessive growl in his voice he made sure Jimin heard; warning him.
But he only felt the softness of Jimin’s lips as he smiled against him. He kissed Jungkook’s nose again and the dragon purred, completely soft in his lap; completely healed.
“Are you all right?” Jimin asked him, his voice only a fraction above a whisper.
“If… if you are,” Jungkook said softly.
“I am now.” Jimin pressed his smaller, cuter nose against his. “Why do you think I’m here, Jungkook, seeking you out?”
The dragon tried to reply with something petty, but the liquid warmth of Jimin’s gaze made it impossible.
They stayed together the rest of the evening, right there in the courtyard. Jimin didn’t mind being out in the starlit darkness with him, and Jungkook was eternally grateful for the efforts he put into taking care of him… even if Jimin didn’t tell him everything wrong with him.
“The stars are really pretty tonight.”
Jungkook followed his upward gaze, his wishes coming to the forefront of his mind again.
“Is that legend true?” he asked.
Jimin quirked a brow. “Which one, love?”
“The planets aligning, the moon robust and full, the right stars twinkling in the sky,” he breathed. He knew the legend by heart. “The serpent constellation in the sky the brightest of them all, turning the earth dragons on Dragonpearl Island into humans.”
Jimin turned to look at him. There was no light amusement on his face this time; just a realization that Jungkook spoke with serious hope and longing. “Jungkook…”
“Wouldn’t it be nice?” Jungkook went on. “I’d be human and we…” He didn’t finish. He had said too much. He felt his face warm with embarrassment, but it wasn’t as though Jimin could see it.
“Is that something you want?” Jimin asked him quietly, caressing the base of his horns. “To be human instead of a dragon?”
“If it means I can be with you and no one else, then yes.”
The dragon expected to be scolded, or to be told that he was being silly again, but Jimin wrapped his arms around his head, face buried into the top of his head between his horns.
“Oh, Jungkookie.”
Despite his slight confusion, Jungkook’s heart warmed with the affection. “... Jimin?”
“You love me that much?”
“Don’t doubt me,” Jungkook scoffed. “Of course I do.”
“I mean…”
“Yes,” Jungkook affirmed, and said no more. Jimin didn’t need to hear about the depth of his love, how much he resented Namjoon and anyone who dared to get closer to Jimin than his favorite dragon, how much it hurt when he wasn’t near.
Jungkook didn’t recognize Jimin’s smile when he raised his head then. He had never seen it before, but it left him with faith. He’d wait lifetimes to find out what it meant.
“Then for your sake,” Jimin said, that mysterious expression never changing, “both of ours, really--we should have hope.”