The Dream

Light.

Jungkook struggled to open his eyes, blinding flashes of light flickering beyond his half-closed eyelids as he tried to sit up, but falling back when his arms gave out. His body ached, arms trembling when he tried to push himself up with no avail. Jungkook closed his eyes again, trying to get a grip of where he was at the moment.

"You're awake," Shinhwa's voice floated into his ears, a soothing, melodic presence that lit up his wrecked mind at once. His back was stiff. and he could feel newly healing scars scabbed with blood from the whippings he'd been given. I miss home.

"Yeah," Jungkook's voice was rough, ragged, and when he his lips, they were dry and cracked. "What happened?"

"The guards us," Shinhwa sounded cold, but there was a bit of underlying warmth just for him that he recognized all too well. "They have killed about twenty before Mingyu's forces had them under control. They are under questioning right now, but one good thing about it is that the king released you."

"Where is he," Jungkook gritted his teeth, fighting to sit up but falling back with a scream torn from his throat, a sound of utter agony. HIs back burned from where he had accidentally hit a newer wound, ripping the bandages open and staining the pallet with fresh blood. Shinhwa swore filthily under her breath, bounding up to retrieve the roll of fresh bandages and dressing lying some distance away from where Jungkook lay.

"Do not move, Jungkook, stay," Shinhwa commanded, pushing Jungkook lightly but firmly to lie on his stomach and peel away his already soaked robe. There was a sound of a rip, and Jungkook screamed when there was a strong pressure on his open wound, Shinhwa trying desperately to stem the bleeding. Something rustled, and Jungkook shifted his head only to see Shinhwa pull out a needle and thread, her expression determined. "I have to stitch the wound up."

"Painkiller?" Jungkook barely managed to whisper, the pain numbing his senses and blurring his vision. Shinhwa handed him a bottle of something. "Drink that. No, gulp it, bog mouthfuls, until you cannot keep awake any longer."

"Fine," Jungkook felt Shinhwa push the bottle into his mouth, and he drank, gulping the thick, tangy liquid down just as Shinhwa had ordered. The bitter tang of alcohol filled his nostrils and his tongue, a wave of drowsiness overcoming him once again. Jungkook stopped, taking a few breaths, and then drank again, swallowing as much as he could manage every mouthful.

The wooden room he was in blurred into a mass of moving blobs, spinning faster and faster until Jungkook's world went black once more.

"Is she awake?" A soft, familiar hum sounded beside Jungkook as he slowly came into consciousness, his mind making sense of everything sluggishly and awakening like a sloth. "How are the wounds? Will she be all right?"

"She will be," Shinhwa's voice replied, cold and detatched unlike so long ago. Once, she would have spoken with teasing snark with a measure of respect veiled well, or plain out terrified, but now it was unfeeling, chilly without an ounce of the warmth it used to contain. Jungkook stirred, and both voices went silent. 

"Jungkook," Shinhwa whispered, so softly only the both of them could hear. "Your name is Jiyeon." Jungkook was still groggy, numbed by the alcohol he barely remembered drinking, but he mumbled an affirmative, which apparently was good enough for Shinhwa. "Are you feeling alright?"

Jungkook groaned, shifting his stiff muscles and trying not to touch the wounds on his back and prevent it from ripping apart. The skin felt like something had torn it apart and then sewed it back crudely, which might be somewhat true in reality. But he trusted Shinhwa would do a good job.

"I think it's okay," Jungkook tried to sit up, and this time an arm slipped around his shoulders, lending some support and not letting him fall. He winced when it brushed a big bruise, and the hand retreated immediately. HIs eyes cleared, sharpening into clear focus only to see a powerful, but somehow hopeful silhouette standing in the doorway of his room, his expression carefully schooled into nonchalance.

Taehyung.

"Jiyeon," Taehyung sounded like he wanted to say more, but held back like he was scared. "How do you feel? Are you-"

"I feel fine, if not pissed," A  surge of anger welled in Jungkook at the sight of his lost lover. He had brought this on him, and even though Jungkook understood it was perfectly reasonable for him to not react well to Jungkook suddenly showing up in his life again, he couldn't help but blame Taehyung for everything. Even for his burning heart and the uncontrollable tendency to miss him. "Get out."

"Jiyeon, hear me out," Taehyung breathed, trying to step closer but freezing in place when Shinhwa gave him a deadly glare. Taehyung's long hair was still the same shade of brunette in the fading glow of the sun, the blue robes he wore all too familiar to Jungkook's eyes. "All of that you wnet through: It was for a purpose. It was a test, to see- To see if you were who you claimed to be."

"I never claimed to be anyone but myself," Jungkook shot back, his voice cracking and trying not to crumple in front of Taehyung. He wanted — so much — to just  curl up into Taehyung's arms and cry his heart out, letting the pain wash out of him, but Taehyung probably didn't feel the same way, probably would never feel like that ever again.

Maybe what they had was just a spark, strong enough to light a flickering candle, but too weak to kindle a full flame. Maybe what they used to be was just something the didn't really define as friendship. 

"You might have not, but that does not mean that others did not as well," Taehyung said softly, and Jungkook flinched when Shinhwa moved to stand between them. He couldn't see her face, but judging by Taehyung's sigh, it didn't really bode well. Shinhwa said, "Stay away, your majesty."

"I would never hurt her," Taehyung whispered sounding almost desperate as he tried to reason with Shinhwa. "I would never do anything worse that what already had been done. You know that, Shinhwa; You know me."

"All I know is that a prince left his lover brokenhearted and went off without a shred of remorse," Shinhwa replied icily, his hands clenching into fists at her side. "All I know is that you, a supposedly most understanding one out of all five princes, destroyed someone who loved you for who you were because you were petty enough to throw her away like she never mattered."

"You know my temperamental, Shinhwa," Taehyung attempted to reason with her. "And you know I have been regretting it since the day you and her left. Do you know how much I-" Taehyung cut himself off. "Never mind, it is of no use anyway."

"I'm right here, you know," Jungkook suddenly hated the way his voice sounded, so feminine, so weak. If only he had his own voice back, then maybe he could make a different impression, change the way things were going. Maybe he could change the way history was being written if only- "You don't need to fight my battles, Shinhwa. I'm perfectly capable of helping myself do it."

"Let me talk to her, Shinhwa, please," Taehyung pleaded, his voice breaking at the end as he whispered, "I need to do this."

Shinhwa glanced back at Jungkook, who bowed his head, looking away. "Fine. But touch her, and I will personally kill you, king or no."

"I understand," Taehyung looked away, and Shinhwa stepped aside, stalking outside with brutal speed and pulling the door shut behind her. Now, it was just Jungkook and Taehyung alone. Jungkook took an unsteady breath, trying to calm his frayed nerves.

"Jiyeon," Taehyung whispered, repeating it rapidly as if it was a mantra, a prayer that would bring Jungkook back to him. "Jeon Jiyeon. Jiyeon."

"What do you want, Taehyung? I thought you'd done what you wanted alr