Jungkook loves flying. It’s freeing, the air whipping against his skin is refreshing, and he feels weightless soaring amongst the clouds. Right now he’s lying in the field just outside the shed that up until just a few hours ago was his home, his hideaway. So many things have happened in such a short span of time that his head his spinning. He went from tiny tot to full grown dragon, and he can’t lie, the sense of power he feels in this body is amazing. But something even more magnificent has occurred. Taehyung, he can communicate with Taehyung. The last person he was able to talk to was Alina, the girl who risked her life to save him, and he will forever be grateful to her for the gift of freedom.

Taehyung, night will be approaching soon. I’ll be leaving for the glen now.

The boy turns and nods at him, a sweet smile on his face. Jungkook stands on all fours, tail dragging against the red dirt of the field as he moves. He doesn’t really want to go. He dislikes being alone, but it’s the only way to keep his secret safe.

“Blue wait,” Jimin calls out, he and Taehyung are running towards him.

"We’ll walk you to the edge, Taehyung tells him, throwing a blanket onto his back, and Jungkook really wishes dragons could smile.

“Stay safe out there, okay?” Jimin says, patting his wing.

Tell him I will.

“He says he will.” Taehyung relays the message.

“Good. You may be a dragon, but you’re ours. Well, mostly Tae’s, but you’re special to me, so be safe and make sure to come home at the first sign of light, okay?”

A mewl of joy he can’t control escapes. He sounds like a dying donkey, but he doesn't care he’s happy.

“We’re family,” Taehyung chimes in.

Family. I’ve never had a family, but I’m glad you and Jimin are mine.

“Same, Blue, same. Thank you so much for waiting until we found you.”

It’s one more thing he has to thank Alina for. He remembers her spell. The magic she cast that night only allowed the person that was meant to, to see him. Taehyung and Jimin finding him was not an accident. They were meant to, and he’s so glad they did. The two boys stand at the edge of the entrance to the wooded area. He turns before he goes in, taking a long look at the two most important people him in this world. Just before he disappears from their sight, he sends Taehyung one final message.

Tell Jimin I belong to him too.

I will Taehyung replies just before Jungkook walks away.

The light of the day is slowly fading with each step he takes, the forest growing darker and darker. By the time he reaches the middle of the glen, Jungkook is no longer a dragon, but a man wrapped up in the blanket Taehyung had given him.

Indeed the man was the right person to find him.

Oddly he doesn’t feel lonely in the dark woods because he knows he’s not alone. He finds safety in a patch trees that seem to be knitted together. A mound of soft leaves lay just before the cluster of trees, and Jungkook decides to sleep there. He lies down on the leaves enjoying the crackling sounds. The night air is quiet the breeze is lightly nipping at the exposed skin of his face, and it’s comforting, like the feel of hands caressing skin.

As his eyes close Yoongi’s face is what he sees behind his lids. He remembers the scar on the man’s hand and how different it was from the one Taehyung has. He remembers the pain in the man’s voice, and Jungkook’s heart hurts. He makes a promise to himself to diligently learn what Yoongi teaches. He will defeat the dark queen, not for his own revenge, that would be selfish, but for all the lives that she has destroyed. He will help Yoongi find peace.

֎֎֎

Jimin’s eyes open before he’s ready for them to do so. In rebellion, he closes them again and rolls to his side. He throws his arm out, and when it lands on Taehyung, well, Jimin can’t help his smile. He snuggles closer to the boy and takes a deep breath, inhaling Taehyung’s earthy scent. Moments like these are his favorite, the wee hours of the morning, when the world is silent, and he can savor the exquisiteness of existing in the same space as Taehyung.

Taehyung stirs in his sleep and shifts closer, draping his leg across Jimin’s thighs. It’s a shock to his system every time Taehyung gets indescribably close, when not even air can pass between. He’s never sure what he should think or what he should feel. He lays still, listening to the younger man breath, counting the inhales and exhales to keep his mind from wandering down a path he’s not allowed to travel. He needs to get up. He gently pushes Taehyung’s leg off his own and untangles himself.

Getting up, he pulls on a pair of trousers and grabs his vest o