GUYS! I am so sorry to drop off the face of the earth but school has been kicking my ass lately 😭 pls accept this 2X long chapter as an apology 🤲

        Jimin had always been fascinated with Earth. The music, the lights, the people. His favorite thing to do was to pick a different city every night and watch over it with a tenderness he never placed elsewhere. To watch humans interact over all those centuries happened to be his absolute favorite pastime.

You see, Jimin is quite the romantic.

He couldn't help watching as they all laughed, cuddled, kissed and held each other under the moonlight. He couldn't help but yearn for something like that to happen to him.

His fathers had sheltered him for the first 300 years or so in the hopes of perfecting his heir. There was no time for any romances to bloom when the kingdom was on the line. It was only within the past two decades that one of the kings had tried setting him up with suitors.

Oh how incredibly tedious they were. If it wasn't the lack of interests that made Jimin steer clear of them, it was the lack of wit. Was it so hard to find someone with whom he could have playful banter? A volley of words? A healthy repartee? And if they weren't mediocre of course they had to be the most pompous princes the universe could offer.

It was excruciating to say the least.

Jimin had only been on earth for a short amount of time but his heart grew with fondness for it's people. Hoseok, for one, is the type of person that makes you feel like home.

It was so easy to fall into a rhythm with the older. His little noises as he packed the camping gear, folded the clothes and even when he bopped Jungkook's nose. His little dance when he had the first bite of breakfast in the morning and the shower of praises that immediately followed because of Jimin's average cooking. It was easy, so so easy for Hoseok to set up camp in Jimin's heart. He briefly thinks that him and Yoongi would be the best of friends.

Jungkook however was the opposite. While Hoseok was expressive with his movements, Jungkook had the tendency to fall silent when he concentrates. If anything a slight hum as he rolled his sleeping bag, another sigh in delight as he ate breakfast. The younger loved to stay close-by, leaning his head on Hoseok or placing his chin on his shoulders. One could say his actions spoke louder than his words. If Hoseok was his home then Jungkook was his heart.

It's hard to collect his thoughts about Jungkook. The younger is shy, incredibly endearing and contemplative in all of his mannerisms. It seems like every conversation that Jimin attempts results in Jungkook effectively blushing and providing mono syllabic responses.

Jimin understands the reaction completely. His heart might burst everytime he's near. It's an entirely new feeling, almost as if he'll faint if he doesn't tell someone. But how could he? Who knows what the customs are in this land? How could he accurately portray the thumping in his chest whenever Jungkook smiles at a bird or a squirrel or a flower? Or the way he makes sure to point out a bug on the floor so as to avoid crushing it? Or even when he brings up that 'wombats are cubed shaped to prevent them from rolling away'?

Jimin never expected to feel such an attachment for a stranger, especially not so quickly. He knew his feelings would only get worse once Jungkook held his hand to help him down a bigger rock. Jungkook treated him with such a kindness that Jimin usually received from others that knew of his title. It was nice to get to know these two without feeling the pressure of the royal family.

So far he learned that they met at their job six years ago and became inseparable since. Jungkook teased Hoseok about his crush on someone in the office. Anytime Jungkook said the word 'Taehyung' the older smiled and showed his beautiful dimples. Jimin doesn't know anything about their coworker but he hopes they get together soon. Hoseok made sure to bring up how single the younger is, and that he thinks Jungkook would benefit greatly from a 'cute and small boyfriend'. Jungkook hid his face with his hands and responded with a nervous chuckle. That was all that was said on the topic but Jimin wishes he could've heard more.

On the way down, the group noticed muddy trails and the branches made it unclear where the paths were. Jimin had underestimated the difficulty of the trek and the clothes he brought made him incredibly uncomfortable. Jungkook noticed earlier and gave him the extra set he had. Although it was baggier than he was used to, he appreciated the thoughtfulness. And if Jimin was a little happier with the other's smell inveloping him, no one had to know.

It's hard to determine how much he should share with the duo so he tells vague facts about his life. He talks about being an only child, his two fathers and how the land back home is so different from here. He can feel the knot build up in his throat when he thinks about the people he left behind, the life that was decided for him. Jimin shuddered at the memories. He felt torn between missing them deeply and pushing them away because of the life they come with.

"Oh it's getting so cloudy again, maybe we should take out our rain jackets from our bags." Hoseok sighed and paused the trek. "It's so weird, I thought the forecast said this weekend would be clear skies. Kinda blows that it might rain again."

Jimin shakes his head to get rid of the tormenting thoughts. "Yeah I tend to get so sad when it rains. I hope it clears up soon." He attempts to think of his happiest memories and moves a little faster down the disheveled trail. It's slippery and luckily he was focused as Jungkook almost fell right in front of him. The younger's hand was warm and it tightened around Jimin's smaller, sturdier one. "Ah uh thank you Jimin." His cheeks dusted pink, looking everywhere else but in his eyes and the hardest thing Jimin had ever done in his life was let go.

Oh God he's so pretty. The giggle that escaped his lips was an accident but how could anyone not turn to putty when he looks like that? "Thank... you? What does that mean?"

The duo stopped walking and gave Jimin the same look. He could feel himself shrinking. "It's um... to show gratitude. Do they not have it where you're from?" At this Jimin felt more at ease.

"Of course we do!" It's universal, Jimin just didn't stop to think that people might show gratitude differently. He takes Jungkook's face in his hands and kisses his cheek.

Hoseok starts howling with laughter and Jungkook, stunned, had never been so red. "Huh... Guess they do things differently there..." The younger's hand came up to where the ghost of Jimin's lips were. It's hard to think of anything other than his pillowed lips.

Their reactions made Jimin's stomach drop in horror. "Oh no I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to offend you in any way." It was a rushed apology, he could only frantically repeat sorry sorry sorry as Jungkook just stood there with an unreadable expression.

Hoseok wipes his tears and sighs, slightly shaking his head. "You are definitely one in a million Jimin." The prince could only chew on his bottom lip as embarrassment flooded his body. It was short-lived however as Hoseok spotted a nearby campsite.

It's the first one they've seen all day.

Trash, branches and supplies littered the floor, a couple tents knocked over and about half a dozen people solemnly cleaning up. "What happened here???" Hoseok was loud enough for one of the campers to turn around.

"Oh hi! Yeah it looked a lot worse this morning actually. That freak storm surprised us, the news said 70s and clear skies!" He seemed nice enough, tying off the bag filled with destroyed provisions. "My name's Soobin. We came up here some nights ago, you?"

"Ah yes! a couple nights ago..." Their conversation died off in the background as Jimin surveyed the camp. All of this damage and destruction because of the rain? Jimin can't help but feel guilty, he knows why the forest looks like this. It made him uneasy to think about the consequences of everything he does.

Jungkook noticed the smaller seemed to have something on his mind. It was in the way he bit his lip and crossed his arms, you could see the little one was close to bursting into tears. "Jimin, are y-"

"I'll help you guys with the campsite!" Immediately he stormed off to the group, asking if he could help in any way possible. They smiled and offered an empty trash bag. Jungkook watched as the smaller was fueled with determination, eager to help out these strangers. It made his heart grow with a fondness to find out how warm-hearted Jimin is.

"... and the radio barely works it keeps cutting in and out." He shook his head, concentrating on what Soobin was saying. "Apparently it said on the news that what started out as a light drizzle became a sudden dangerous storm! Even some areas of the city were flooded!" The stranger chuckles, "at least we were high enough that we didn't get the worst of it."

It was definitely weird for sure. Hoseok and him had planned the trip around this time because they knew the weather would be tame. Goosebumps rose on his arms thinking it. Something felt off. In his field Jungkook spends all day surrounded by calculations because so much could go wrong if they were even a fraction off. It's probably no different when it comes to weather reports. Hmm... Hoseok looks just as perplexed with the information, most likely thinking the same thing.

It took them a couple hours but they helped the group clean and pack up their campsite. It's surprising to find new friends like this but that's the way life works sometimes. They now have five new camping buddies that they will be sure to message the next time they decide to plan a trip.

Jungkook would think that after the laughs they shared with the new group, it would make Jimin feel more at ease. The smaller hasn't said a word the entire time, only chewing on his lip as he lags behind. He walks slower to match his pace. "Hey, is um... everything okay?"

The smaller was lost in thought, gripping onto the strap of his bag. "Yeah its... complicated." He looked up to see how close the other's were and found that they were preoccupied with something funny Yeonjun had said. He leaned in closer to Jungkook, "I just feel, I... I'm so sorry this happened. No one should have to go through something like this, especially not with how kind they are." He sighs and hangs his head low. It's confusing to see his face riddled with guilt and Jungkook chooses his next words carefully.

"Please don't think you have to say sorry for everything Jimin, none of this is your fault." He hoped he sounded genuine.

Jimin looks up at the group, and back around to their surroundings. Regardless of the mess from the storm, the forest was always beautiful at this time. "I just... I didn't realize... yeah. I guess you're right." Jimin looked unconvinced so Jungkook decided to change the topic. "You do realize that the mood has changed entirely because of you Jimin. They're so grateful you came to help! Sometimes things like this just happen... Okay?" As if on cue, the group laughs ahead. It seems Hoseok screamed at something at the end of Beomgyu's stick.

"Yeah," Jimin supposes. "At least we got to make some friends out of it." Jimin shines in a way that makes Jungkook's heart flutter. But he can't actually be shinning right? It's a trick of the sun in his eyes... He pushes the thought to the back of his head. "At the very least some memories". He falters slightly and hopes it wasn't noticeable.

"Some beautiful memories." Jungkook answers, looking away to cover his blush. He didn't notice the slight grin the smaller had before he picked up his pace to join the other's. When the two caught up, Soobin asked if they heard about the conspiracy from last night.

Yeonjun giggled at their clueless faces. "Tell them binnie!"

The taller shyly grinned before continuing his story. "It was just a stupid conspiracy channel but the guy said that the moon disappeared last night, everyone's talking about it!" Hoseok's eyes grow as big as saucers, meeting Jungkook's similar expression.

"That's pretty convenient that there was a storm with clouds covering up the sky so you couldn't even tell!" Their youngest, Huening Kai piped up.

"I mean... it was kind of dark the night before but it sounds ridiculous."

"Yeah Jungkook's right but also we work with NASA so there's no way something like that would happen and they wouldn't notify us!"

And while the group denies and starts coming up with theories as to why the moon supposedly disappeared, Jungkook couldn't care less at the moment. Jimin looks incredibly pale and falls silent. Jungkook has half a mind to reach out and intertwine their fingers, if only to relieve his stress slightly. "It's okay Jimin, it's probably just some dude with too much time on his hands that needs clickbait to boost his channel." The smaller barely understood that sentence but nods timidly. "Besides, my phone has no missed calls or text messages! See?"

He's met with a black screen. "Um... what am I supposed to be looking at?"

The younger whips the phone back to see that his phone died. "Hoseok is yours dead too?"

After pulling out the phone, Hoseok's face fell. "Yeah... I guess it is..."

Morale was low after a tricky couple of days but they kept thinking how close to home they were. Their new friends made time pass quickly as it was nightfall by the time they reach the bottom where the parking lot was. They all said goodbyes and exchanged socials but were eager to crash in a warm bed after a hot shower.

"It's a little late to drive back and I'm beat. Should we book a motel for the night?" The exhaustion was clear on all their faces and Jungkook groaned at the thought of sinking into a hot bath.

"Oh hell yes! I think we passed one on the way over."

Jimin shifted alternatively on his feet, all of a sudden feeling very out of place. What will I do now? He almost resorted to biting his nails but remembered how often his father scolded him for it.

"-min. Hey Jimin!" Jungkook chuckled as Jimin snapped back to reality. "You're more than welcome to stay with us, if you can stand us for another night?" And there goes those butterflies again...

He couldn't stop the grin from forming, no matter how hard he tried. "I think I can manage." The smaller giggled and Hoseok's objections to the previous comment is drowned out by Jungkook's shy smile. They walk to the car at the end of the lot, shoulders bumping ever so slightly. Hoseok rolled his eyes and sighed, looking for the car keys.

The motel wasn't far, just like Jungkook said, and they were lucky that there was one room left. While they unpack their things on the beds, Jungkook couldn't help but bring up something that had been weighing on his mind. "Um... yknow Jimin, when my phone has enough battery you can use it to call anyone! Maybe someone from home?"

And Jimin can tell the younger only wants to help but this is something he couldn't possibly comprehend. "No that's um... it's fine, I don't need to contact anyone." It's as if the younger can tell how much pain Jimin carries around. But instead of prodding more his lips tighten and he provides a curt nod before connecting his phone to the nightstand. "I, was um actually wondering if I could stay? W-With you guys of course, not in this motel. Um just until I figure things out and what I'm gonna do?" Come on Jimin! You are much more eloquent than this! The silence becomes deafening as the duo look at each other before back at Jimin. He wants to hurl. "I-I'd be happy to show you gratitude however you do it here!"

The older bursts out laughing again, doubling over on the bed and Jungkook looks anywhere but Jimin's eyes. "Hoseok shut up!"

Said man wiggles his eyebrows, hoping to exacerbate the situation. "To be honest I think Jungkook would love to learn more about your customs." As if Jungkook couldn't get anymore red, he grabbed Hoseok's shoulders and shoved him to the bathroom. "Don't you need to shower or something?" Hoseok obliges, pouting that he can't embarrass Jungkook more. He hops in the shower, the water hitting the tub was the only sound in the room.

"Do you really want to know?" Jimin was so quiet Jungkook didn't know if he imagined it. The timid lip biting gave it away.

"If you would like to share that with me then I would love to hear it." He hopes hopes he doesn't come off too pushy. Jimin nods slowly, contemplative.

"Can we take a walk outside?" The younger nods immediately, looking so eager that he earned a giggle from Jimin.

"I'll leave hyung a note!" Jungkook checks that his phone is charging and writes on the notepad by the bed.

on a walk w jimin - jk

They decide to stroll around the hotel, taking their time with each other. They walk in silence at first, neither knows how to begin.

"So-"

"What-"

They burst into a fit of giggles. "I'm sorry, you go first Jimin."

The smaller smiles at the gesture. "I was going to ask what that word means."

It confuses Jungkook because he's not sure what the other means. "Which one?"

"You called Hoseok it. Um.. hyung, I believe it was? Does he have multiple names?" At this Jungkook let's out a breathy laugh.

"No. Well not like that. Sometimes I call him Hobi because it's a cute name but Hyung is different." Jimin nods slowly again and Jungkook finds the habit endearing. "It's a term I use because he's my friend."

Jimin thinks he gets it. "I see..." he's lost in his thoughts for a minute before speaking up. "I have someone like that, back home I mean."

"Oh?" Jungkook's going to ignore how tight his chest is starting to feel.

The shorter hums. "He's also my cousin, does that count too?" Another giggle escapes Jungkook's lips, his body instantly loosened up.

Pretty, Jimin thinks.

"Even better! What's his name?"

"Yoongi." Jimin can't stop a smile from reaching his lips when recalling the elder. "He's been my best friend for as long as I can remember. We used to steal pastries from the kitchen together, run through the halls and make everyone worry for our safety." Jimin is obviously so fond of the memory, the beautiful smile is on display again.

Jungkook briefly thinks this Yoongi guy is lucky for Jimin to talk about him like this.

"We grew up placing bets on random things to see who would win, we were very competitive that way. He's been my shoulder to cry on, to laugh into, to hold when everything becomes too much. Don't know where I'd be without him honestly." Jimin kicks a random rock. "I... I miss him." Jimin starts to sniffle and the taller places a tentative hand on his shoulder for support. The wind around them starts to pick up and Jimin shivers before his face becomes stoic again.

Jungkook's almost afraid to ask. "Did... something happen?" He doesn't know much about the smaller but from what little he's seen, it's hard to imagine this was a rash decision. He thinks back to when he found the small body in the woods and unconsciously shudders. No he definitely wouldn't have been in those woods all by himself for no reason. Jungkook hopes he doesn't feel uncomfortable with the question.

"I... I said earlier, I ran away." He made it sound so simple. Jungkook's hand on his shoulder squeezes. "I can tell you right?"

Those big beautiful eyes looked up at him and Jungkook understands what people mean by losing all sense of rational thought. "You can tell me anything you're comfortable with, I promise."

And so Jimin takes that risk, inhaling before he closes his eyes. Breathing out, he grabs Jungkook's hand. "I hope this isn't offensive in your region too."

Jungkook stutters looking at how perfectly intertwined their fingers are. "N-No this. This is great, very nice actually." And Jimin can't help the giggle that escapes his lips. His shoulders are visibly more relaxed when he begins his story.

"I don't know how much I can say really. But to give a general idea, I am the only child of a very prominent family." Jimin's eyes darken. "I was raised to take over the family business, in a sense, and... it became too much. I had to get out of there before I get stuck in a cage for the rest of my life."

They near the hotel pool that sparkles right outside their door. Jimin guides them around the circumference of the pool, a tranquil sigh escaping his lips at the sight of the water.

"Anyway I knew I had to make a decision before I came of age to... be in charge. my friend, my hyung-" He said with the tiniest of smiles. "-helped me get out. Unfortunately i can't contact him anymore." The waves lap at the edges as they walk around, seeming to follow their path.

"If I let you borrow my phone would you be able to call him? At least let him know you're okay." At that Jimin tenses up.

"A phone? Uh... um no. I don't think that would work. I just, I hope my family is okay without me." His words are drenched in sadness but he shakes his head as if to chase away the intrusive thoughts.

Jungkook feels his heart drop, wishing he could do more. "That's unfortunate I'm really sorry."

"A wise man once told me that you shouldn't say sorry if it's not your fault." Jungkook laughs and shakes his head.

"You're right I just, really wish I could help you somehow." He reddens and hopes Jimin doesn't notice in the moonlight. "I... nevermind." Sheepishly he let's go of Jimin's hands to place them in his pockets. Instant regret floods his body.

Jimin freezes at first, if only for a second before looking back up at the taller. "Hey Jungkook?" He thinks the youngers eyes could hold the entire galaxy if he tried.

"Hm?" It's hard to look away.

"Do you..." Jimin's eyes flash down to Jungkook's lips before continuing. "Do you think I can call you hyung?" It was Jimin's turn to blush profusely as Jungkook laughs harder than he has all night. "What?" He frowns. "Is it- are we not- I mean..." Jimin fiddles with his fingers, slightly confused at the younger's reaction.

"Well that depends if I'm older than you or not." Jungkook feels like a teenager again, he cant seem to stop smiling.

"Oh I'm definitely older than you." There's a certain glint in Jimin's eyes and Jungkook can't think of anything better than to discover all of his idiosyncrasies. "So please, um. Call me hyung."

And if Jungkook can see how prettily Jimin blushes then he's sure of how obvious his matching redness is. "I would love to. Hyung." The smaller looks down again briefly before leaning in closer.

"Jungkook?" The man was too stunned to speak. Jimin closes the gap and places the quickest peck on Jungkook's cheek before rocking back. "Thank you." And all the poor man could do was stand there, like an idiot, while Jimin giggled and headed inside.

It took a second for him to recollect himself before heading inside, completely unaware of how the pool water stilled.

AGAIN SO SO SORRRY!!! I'm gonna try to be more consistent!! 😭😭😭