Free // BTS AU //

Chapter Seventeen.

Jungkook's heart pounded. He had just turned thirteen today, and today was the day that he had just pick-pocketed for the first time. He had sneaked away from the noble man, pouch in his hand and once he was a far enough distance away he had sprinted all the way back home. He lived in a little rundown building with other boys of similar age and of age above him, and the rule was on your thirteenth birthday you must pick-pocket and make a living that way to be able to stay with them. 

He did just that, he didn't want to be kicked out of his home again. After his parents had died in a house fire, he had nowhere to go, and lived on the streets for a small while until a boy that was growing stubble, and had a much deeper voice than Jungkook did himself, offered a place with him. 

The pick-pocketing grew into larger schemes within the year, the boys praising the younger member of their family for his incredible skills. He climbed the imaginary ranks faster than anyone had managed and was soon sneaking into peoples houses whilst they slept and took whatever coins he could find or anything that he could sell that would make him a little bit of extra money. 

Everything was going smoothly until the age of fifteen, the soldiers and the knights had been cracking down on any kind of crime that was being committed in the kingdom, and unfortunately Jungkook was one of the unlucky ones.

When he went out to steal, he had no plan, he didn't target anyone in particular as long as they clearly weren't of a low class as he refused to steal their minimal belongings and valubles off them. He enjoyed the rush of stealing from the richer people, who wouldn't notice if a coin or ten went missing, who had higher levels of security which made it that little bit more challenging for him to get past. Jungkook just loved the adrenaline and the food it put into his body. He had went months without a proper meal before he had become a thief, and now? Now he could have his fill almost whenever he wanted and he was still able to feed a few of the younger ones. 

Jungkook found his target that night, he had sneaked into the house without a problem, he had gotten his goods without a problem - it all felt suspicious to him. He had never entered a noble's house and gotten everything so easy. 

He knew his feelings were correct when he exited the house and bumped into the metal chest plate of a knight. "Shit..." He whispered, dropping the coins all over the floor.

Jungkook was shipped straight to the prison, his wrists bound in thorns within hours of being there and he was sent to his room. Two years he stayed in the prison, the only time he was released from the thorns was when he was out in the yard doing manual labor like lifting heavy rocks and transporting them to the other side of the prison. He had been transformed from a young, scrawny and dirty looking boy to a muscular yet still dirty man within the space of two years. 

Two years was when he decided that he wanted out. He was fed up of doing the manual labor, he was fed up of the thorns digging into him if he even attempted to move his hands in the slightest bit, he was fed up of having to see the nurse of the prison just for her to say that he was fine even though blood was dripping down his hands and hitting the floor from his finger tips. 

Somehow he did it, he used his agility to sneak past the soldiers and he climbed the prison walls despite the echoing pain from the thorns just digging themselves further into his skin and he ran. He had ran faster and further than his body wanted him to, he ran until he made it to the woods and then he ran further. Once in the woods it didn't take long for his legs to stutter and his body to give out. All he remembers is one second he was running, and the next his body had hit the floor. 

He had woken up to chattering around him and he blinked a few times to adjust to the bright sunlight that were behind the two silhouettes that towered above him.

"He's a prisoner." One spoke quietly. "Look at the thorns."

"I was a prisoner in my own kingdom." The other spoke. His eyes had finally adjusted and he saw the Prince of the kingdom that had left him in the prison, and someone who looked as well kept as the Prince did and immediately Jungkook went into fight or flight, he forced his body to get up and crouch into a defensive position despite the screaming coming from his muscles. "Are you a murderer?"

"Do I look like a murderer?" Jungkook retorted. 

"No, you still look like a child. Especially in your face." The other spoke. 

"What did you end up in there for?" 

"I stole. I had no option but to do so, otherwise I would've starved before I reached my thirteenth birthday." Jungkook spoke wearily. "Why does Prince Namjoon want to know these things?"

"Please don't call me Prince." Namjoon spoke. "Just call me Namjoon. I ran away, and this here is my trusty friend Seokjin." He gestured to the man that had the bow on his back. 

"Are you going to send me back?" Namjoon shook his head. "Then what do you want with me?"

"Stay with us." The Prince had asked, his voice soft and non-threatening. "We don't have a house, but we get by fine. Seokjin hunts for us and cooks, and we live out under the stars. It's actually a lot more peaceful than you'd expect."

"If you accept our offer I can cut those thorns for you. They're causing you to bleed. I assume you don't want that to continue?" Seokjin offered.

Jungkook stuck his wrists out and nodded. "Okay. But I can't offer much than my ability to steal."

Namjoon pulled out his dagger and sliced through the thorns in one swoop, and they tumbled to the floor. "Seokjin can teach you how to hunt. Welcome to the family, what's your name?"

"Jungkook. Jeon Jungkook."

"I'm Kim Namjoon."

"I'm Kim Seokjin." Seokjin gave a small smile. "Lets go, once they've realised you've escaped they'll come looking for you, and this is a path that runs directly to and from the prison." Jungkook nodded and the two men walked into the denser area of the woods, Jungkook watched for a second before a small smile landed on his face, and he followed behind them.