The Three Bannermen | Vminkook ✓

Twenty Four: Laurel Calls

Stone Prince

Jimin woke up to someone breathing down his neck. 

He slowly opened his puffy eyes and saw daylight pouring in his bedroom. He was laying on his side in the middle of the bed, curled into a tight ball. A disturbing ache passed through his head, but otherwise he felt okay. But who is breathing...?

Jimin turned his head around to see a sleeping Jungkook snuggled up close to his back, the younger's nose buried in his silver hair. Jimin couldn't remember why Jungkook was there, but he didn't mind. Jungkook looked cute and it would be sooner or later before Jimin told the ravenette he liked him. 

Wait. Didn't I already tell Jungkook that...yesterday? Or was it just a dream?

He thought he remembered the way Jungkook's lips moved softly against his...how Jungkook grabbed his hair as their lips molded together...how they were interrupted by the knock at the door, by a servant who'd said-

Then it hit him. All of the news he had received the night before came tumbling into his mind, painfully wracking his skull. The horrible fate of the Stone Castle. Jihoon  moving against the Laurel Castle. Noirwood  at war with the north. 

Everything is ruined. 

Jimin flipped over on the bed to face Jungkook, tears forming under his already swollen eyelids. He tried to push the situation out of his mind and just focus on Jungkook's peaceful face, but he found that he couldn't. Jimin sat up on the bed and rubbed at his inflamed eyelids, exhaling to try and calm his nerves down. The action woke Jungkook up. 

Jungkook groaned as he slowly woke, reaching out for the warmth that had just left his front side. His hand wrapped around Jimin's arm and he yawned as he pulled himself up into a seated position. Several seconds passed before Jungkook remembered the news. His back instantly straightened. He grabbed Jimin's wrist harder and pulled the other male close to him.

"I'm so, so sorry Jimin." Jungkook whispered glumly in his soft morning voice. "We...we need to fix this. We need to make a plan."

Jimin brushed black strands of Jungkook's hair out of the younger's face and nodded sadly at the words spoken. He took Jungkook's hand in his own and gave it a squeeze.

"Yeah...but first we need to find Taehyung and tell him the news..." Jimin whispered.

Jungkook's gaze fell to the floor and he sighed. Jimin rolled off of the bed, holding Jungkook's hand. They got up from the bed together and after a quick freshening up, left the room in their clothes from the night before. 

They headed straight for the Laurel Prince's room urgently. When in the hall, a couple of court members glanced at the two messy-haired princes holding hands and half-smiled at the sight. Two attractive men holding hands? Who wouldn't appreciate the sight?

At that point, Jungkook and Jimin didn't care if people saw them together. So many terrible things had already happened in the kingdom that any petty judgments would hurt them little. However, Jungkook's staff was very supportive of him and bowed politely when he passed by. 

One servant even commented on their hand-holding. "Good morning, Oak Prince. Stone Prince. May Noirwood stand strong because of your union."

Jungkook and Jimin squeezed each other's hands but said nothing to the man. Finally, they had arrived at the Laurel Prince's door. Jimin tried the door handle, but it was locked.

"It's locked...?" Jimin tried again, yanking harder on the door handle...but to no avail. 

Jungkook brushed Jimin's hand away and tried himself, but the door didn't budge. "Why did he lock this? How did he lock this?" Jungkook paused to think.