Rosy ashes [j.jk ff.]

t h i r t e e n

Jungkook was like a deer caught in headlights, standing there and just staring at the princess, that looked at him with an indecipherable expression. A short cock of her head to the gardens and she disappeared into them again, undoubtedly wanting the prince to follow her to talk. Jungkook's legs followed her before his mind could even tell them to. He stepped out into the gardens, scanning the greenery for a purple dress and immediately finding the princess on a bench near the pond. Jungkook summoned all the courage he had in him, straightened his back and made his way over to the princess. 

For a second he just stood there awkwardly next to the princess who hasn't even noticed him yet, which was odd since she signaled him to follow her. Maybe she didn't actually think he would? "Is there still room for me on this bench?" Jungkook forced his voice to sound lighthearted, not like he was dying on the inside. Yeri looked up in surprise, her cheeks flushing slightly. "You came" she mumbled and Jungkook nodded. She scooted over a little and so made room for the prince to sit next to her. 

"This is about last night" Jungkook muttered, he was sure of that. The girl nodded, chewing on her bottom lip worriedly. "Look- We can just forget about what happened yesterday. You were sleepy, I was- I don't even know what I was and did that" Jungkook started the conversation but was soon cut off by Yeri. "I meant what I said yesterday! I also meant that kiss but when I say I meant every word, then I mean every word. It's okay if you don't love me, Jungkook" she suddenly confessed, fiddling with her hands nervously. 

Jungkook was effectively silenced by her words. He stared at her with an open mouth, watched her grow a single red rose in her hands, undoubtedly just so she could focus on something else but him. "I hurt you so much. I was such an asshole to you, I did that-" he softly trailed his fingers over the burn marks on Yeri's right hand, feeling his heart clench in his chest. Yeri halted her movements at the touch. "I guess love is completely irrational" she whispered. "It's absolutely nuts" Jungkook agreed. 

"I wish I could take all that back, but I can't" he whispered, his fingers curling around hers on the flower. "If I could turn back time, I would've greeted you with a smile when you first exited out of the carriage. I would've shown you the gardens and watched you make it even more beautiful with your gift" Jungkook talked himself into a wishful frenzy, his throat constricting with emotions. "I would've held your hand, not burn it and I would've proposed to you properly, not just collapsed on your doorstep and let you figure it out yourself." 

While he was talking, Yeri just watched him silently, her eyes big as saucers. She shook off Jungkook's hand that was laying on her own, to put the red rose in his hand. "Treat my heart better than my hand then" she whispered, closing his fingers around the stem. While this was happening, Jungkook stared at the princess with bated breath. "Jungkook, what do you feel for me?" The princess finally looked up, meeting his eyes unafraid. The prince's throat was constricted, he couldn't get any words out of his mouth, so he used it differently. 

Jungkook cupped her jaw with the hand that wasn't holding the rose and gently put his lips on hers. He was kissing her slowly, unhurriedly. He poured all his emotions into the gentle pressure of his lips on hers, to let her know how he felt without saying anything and Yeri understood. She raised both hands to cup his cheeks too and kissed him back, just as emotional as he did. With just as much gentleness and, just as unsure but also just as in love. When Jungkook broke the kiss first, he was smiling warmly at the girl. "I can't turn the clock back. I can't change our first meeting, I can't make that day in your chambers undone, but there is one thing that I could try to do better" he whispered. 

Before Yeri could question what he was doing, Jungkook stood up, gently pulling her up by the hand as well. "Put out your hand please," he said with a fond smile and Yeri did as she was told, a big question mark metaphorically hovering over her head. He took her hand gently in his and then removed her engagement ring from her ring finger. "Let's try this again, shall we?" he chuckled lightheartedly while Yeri stared at him in shock. 

The prince dropped to one knee in front of her, holding out the ring to her with a smile. She could tell he was nervous by the way he chewed on his bottom lip and she smiled at him a little to put him at ease. "Princess Yeri, I know I fucked up a lot of times since you met me. I have been mean, cold and even hurt you, but somehow you still saw past that and decided to give me a chance. I want to show you that the person you met all these months ago is not me. This is the honest me and my feelings for you are genuine just like my regret for all my stupidity and cruelty." 

Somewhere during his speech Yeri had begun to cry silently and Jungkook interrupted his monologue for just a second to tell her 'please don't cry, love'. "To get back on track, I want to promise you that I'll be a better man for you. That I will treat you right and protect you with everything I have and in return I only ask one thing from you: will you be my future queen? Will you marry me?" 

Yeri nodded furiously, a choked 'yes' spilling from her lips before she flung herself into his arms, knocking the prince off balance. They sprawled out on the grass, the princess on top of him as they both laughed. Jungkook put the ring back on her finger. "Better the second time around?" he asked her with a cheeky grin and Yeri laughed. "Infinitely better." "Just imagine how awesome our second wedding will be then because knowing me I'll fuck up the first one somehow too." Yeri rolled her eyes playfully. "Shut up and kiss me, you dork."

Does this make up for the extremely long break? *peeks from under the bed* I'm sorry for taking so long, I honestly don't have an excuse, I was just lazy as hell. Forgive me?