Jimin turned his neck, scanning the surroundings for anyone’s presence. When he was sure no one was around, he let the hood of his black jacket drop to his shoulder. He had borrowed it from Jungkook for hiding himself- mostly, his conspicuous silver hair. He let out a deep breath and walked over to a marble block that was placed a few feet away, as a place for people to sit on.

The groves and weeds had grown over the statues at this part of the garden. This part of the castle garden, was placed at a corner that was pretty far from the castle and no one ever came to this part. And since it was seen the least, it was neglected the most. 

Jimin remembered the first time he had found this place, on his first day at the castle. He had been sent, against his will, by his father. He was supposed to stay there for the rest of his life, to assist Seokjin, since his father had pledged loyalty to the King. 

After he had arrived, the presence of his cousin, the nobles, the stuffy atmosphere of the castle had all suffocated him and as soon as he had found the opportunity, he had broken away from the people purposely to find some solitude. 
He smiled as he remembered what had happened next that day…

“I’m guessing my dim witted cousin hasn’t told you that I’m gonna be living here from now on. And NO ONE dares to talk to me this way, witch.”

“No wonder you’re so ill-mannered then. Coz no one dares to talk sense into you. But I’ll gladly do it from now on.”

“Wh-wh-what did you say?!”

“Exactly what you heard, your highness...Prince Jimin. Yes, King Seokjin did tell me about your arrival. I hope you like the castle.”

Jimin stared at Yoongi in disbelief, his chest rising and falling in anger, his cheeks slowly going red. 
“You…you-…How dare you talk to me this way?!” 

“I’m sorry if I offended you. But considering you just called me ‘witch’, and also threatened to rip my head off earlier, it’s hardly fair to ask me why I’m talking to you this way.” Yoongi said, a faint trace of a smile on his face, which made Jimin’s anger jump up even higher.

“If this wasn’t my first day here and if I didn’t care about my father’s reputation…”  He took steps towards Yoong slowly, pronouncing every word slowly through his teeth.

“Then you would have liked to kill me right here. I know that. Your own reputation isn’t unknown to anyone..” Yoongi said, smiling. “Your stories are pretty popular amongst the people here.”

Jimin stopped in his tracks and blew out a loud breath, his nostrils flaring and his eyes going wide. He stared at Yoongi without a word for a few seconds, as if unable to believe his ears.

 “Are you insane?” Jimin hissed in a low voice. “No one has ever dared to say such things to me."

Yoongi stayed quiet, looking at Jimin with the same faint smile.

“You think I won’t hurt you coz you’re Seokjin’s Minister? You think I care about that?”

“I don’t think you care at all.” Yoongi shrugged.
 
Jimin stared at Yoongi for a while, unable to form any words. His breathing was fast and loud and his face slowly became that of an angry child as he glared at Yoongi, rolling his hands into fists.

“But I’m not afraid of you either. You can hurt me if you want. I still won't be scared of you.” Yoongi said.

Jimin let out a deep breath and turned away from Yoongi. 
“Just…go away.”

Jimin walked over and sat down on the marble seat in front of him, his back to Yoongi and sighed, lowering his head, his eyes closed.

A few seconds of silence passed. Then he felt a presence behind him and raised his head.

“I’m sorry.”

Jimin turned his neck and found Yoongi behind him. When their eyes met, Yoongi did not have the smile anymore. He looked abashed.
Jimin looked away from him, looking at the grasses in front of him.

Yoongi walked around the marble block and sat down, a considerable distance away from Jimin.

“Prince Jimin…I-I’m sorry, I thought you were a visitor. That’s why I asked you not to come here. Coz this place is left unguarded most of the time. But-…You can stay here as long as you like, of course.” Yoongi said. “This is the right place to be alone. Get away from the noise.”

Jimin turned his eyes to him.
“How did you know I wanted to get away-…”

The words had slipped out and he felt embarrassed and looked away. He turned his eyes down.

Yoongi stayed quiet for a while before replying.
“I would’ve wanted silence if I were in your shoes…having just lost your mother.”

Jimin’s head snapped up and he turned to look at Yoongi. He wasn’t able to hide his surprise.

“That quarrel was unnecessary. I apologize for that.” Yoongi whispered.

Jimin hadn’t turned his eyes away from Yoongi. He blinked a few times, hesitating. He gulped and spoke in a low voice. “I’ve met about a hundred people today. And you’re the first person who seems to remember that.”

Yoongi looked at him, confused.

“About…my Mother.”

“Oh…” Yoongi said, looking down.

They looked away from each other and sat in silence for a while.

“I don’t even remember my parents or my other siblings that much. Hoseok and I were brought here when we were pretty small. But I do miss them…It’s hard to lose family…” Yoongi said. 

“She died…trying to save my younger sister from rebels.”

“I know…we heard…I’d be angry too, if I were you.” 

Jimin made a small scoffing sound. Yoongi looked at him sideways, in such a way that Jimin wouldn’t understand. He took in the puffed out cheeks and suppressed a smile, turning his eyes away. 
“Yeah, that’s all I have in me, right. Anger, anger, anger. That’s all people seem to talk about.”

“I’m sure there’s a lot more in you. And I’m sure people wanna know that.” Yoongi said. “I’m just not sure they have the guts to come close enough to find out.”

Jimin turned and met Yoongi’s eye, a hint of a glare coming into his face again. Yoongi couldn’t help but break into a giggle this time.

“Most people would sooner go shake hands with a lion than try to be friends with you. Or get close to you.”

“Didn’t you just say you aren’t afraid of me?”

Yoongi stopped laughing and smiled warmly at Jimin. “I’m not.”

“Then be my friend.”

Yoongi stopped smiling and stared, dumbfounded. He blinked a few times, his mouth open.

“What? You don’t want to be?” Jimin asked, his nostrils flaring and eyebrows coming together.

Yoongi studied Jimin’s face, a pout slowly forming on the full red lips. He felt his own lips rise into a smile without thought, and a sudden warmth in his chest.

“Yah.” Jimin uttered, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

“You don’t even know my name.” Yoongi said.

“Oh.” Jimin’s angry face was replaced by an embarassed one.

“I’m Min Yoongi.” Yoongi said and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you.” He said and giggled.

Jimin grasped his hand and Yoongi grimaced.

“Oh !” Jimin let go of Yoongi’s hand. 

Yoongi massaged his hand and looked up at Jimin. 
He found that unreasonably happy warm feeling in his chest return again. 

“I’m so sorry.” Jimin said, reaching out and taking Yoongi’s hand, this time softly. “I didn’t realize I was using that much strength. Does it hurt too much?”

“Not an unfair amount for your friendship.” Yoongi said, smiling.

Jimin sighed. Finally his own lips curved into a smile.
“I was joking about that...And I was such a jerk to you. Why would you really want to be my friend?”

“For the sake of being the first one in the world to know the real Park Jimin. Not the angry one.”

.............................................................................................................................................

Jimin had been lost in his thoughts and recollections for some time, when he sensed someone behind him and his muscles stifenned, getting prepared for dealing with the situation.

He was taken off guard when a pair of hands slipped his hood back over his hair.
Jimin turned in a flash and his tense stance melted.

"You!"

"Are you crazy? Coming back here without even a proper disguise! You could have-..."

Yoongi could not finish the sentence as JImin had jumped up from his seat and crushed him in a tight hug.

"Do you know how long it has been since I touched you?" Jimin whispered, a tear finding its way down his cheek.

"I do...I could count every second." Yoongi said, wrapping his arms around Jimin tightly.

Jimin's lips curved into a blissful smile. 
"You remember this place?" He whispered into Yoongi's shoulder.

"Yes, Jimin ah...I knew this is where I'd find you today." Yoongi said. 

A brief silence followed, before Yoongi spoke again.
"I was scared...sending the message through Namjoon. I couldn't get through to you any other way. It would get tracked. But Namjoon is faithful after all."

Jimin let go of Yoongi very slowly and faced him. Yoongi took his face in his hands and smiled.

"I missed you, you know..." Jimin said, sighing. "Namjoon told me that my father-..."

Yoongi nodded his head, his smile disappearing.
"I'm sorry, Jimin ah..."

Jimin shook his head and stepped back, moving to the marble seat. He pulled Yoongi's hand, for him to come sit beside him.
"Nothing new. My appa would throw me off a cliff, if needed, to keep relations with "King" Seokjin unharmed. What's a son worth anyway? Not worth losing the favour of a king." Jimin said, scoffing.

Yoongi was quiet for a few seconds before he spoke.
"Jimin ah...why could you not trust me?"

"Wh-what?" Jimin looked up at Yoongi, his eyes wide in surprise.

"Why did you think you needed to hide it from me...That-..." As Yoongi spoke, Jimin noticed his face reflecting pain. "That Jungkook was okay...that he's..."

Yoongi let out a deep breath and looked down. "He's alive....We didn't kill him. I didn't kill him. He's okay...and...and he was right in front of us all this while and we-..." He shook his head, his face screwed in a pained expression. "Jimin ah, why didn't you tell me?!"

"Because he didn't want me to." Jimin whispered.

Yoongi spoke after a pause. "I can't blame him. And I-...I treated him like-...He was right there in front of me and I treated him like he was a criminal...I behaved terribly with him...Oh god..."

Jimin nodded silently.

"Jimin...I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Jimin looked up in surprise.

"For thinking that you and Jungkook-...I can understand what you said now. Why you became friends with him and why you supported him. You've always supported him in your mind, even when we thougght he was dead. Of course you'd stand beside him. I'm sorry for thinking the way I did...I was such a pathetic idiot...I'm so sorry."

Jimin grinned at him, grabbing his hand and squeezing it.
"I knew you'd come around some time."

There was silence for some time before Jimin broke it.
"And you?"

"Huh? What about me?"

Jimin's smile was enough to make Yoongi understand what he meant. It made him avoid Jimin's eyes.

"I'm guessing you'll be by your best friend's side till the end." 

Yoongi remained silent.

"It's okay, Yoongi. I don't expect you to choose Jungkook over your closest friend of centuries." Jimin said, taking Yoongi's hand between his hands. "I understand...I understand." He whispered.

"Choose Jin..over you too?" Yoongi whispered, keeping his eyes on the ground. He  had tried to keep the emotion out of his voice but he failed.

Jimin slid over to cover the small distance between them and wrapped his arms around Yoongi, resting his cheek on his shoulder.
"Remember what I told you that night?...When you almost killed yourself trying to locate your beef-headed friend?"

"Yes...I do."

"Don't choose between us. Just choose the right thing to do. Do whatever's right."

Yoongi was quiet for a while before he spoke.

"I loved Jungkook a lot when he was a baby, Jimin...I know you think I ony cared about Jin. But Jungkook meant no less for me. I was very fond of him. And he used to cling to me. He stayed with me more than with Jin...Jin was never confident in taking care of him. I used to carry him around most of the time...he never used to cry when he was with me." 

Jimin listened, his eyes wide.

"I remember people saying...Wonder what magic the High minster has cast over the royal family. Prince Jungkook seems to love Yoongi even more than 
his elder brother does...He was never as comfortable in anyone's arms as in mine. Smiling, laughing, touching my face with his little fingers." Yoongi sighed, smiling fondly, his eyes getting glassy.

"Wow..." Jimin whispered. "You never told me this stuff." 

"Coz it hurt to think about it. To think about how I betrayed him after all of that."
Yoongi let out a deep breath, shaking his head. "I don't know what to do, JImin. I just don't know. Jin and Jungkook...if they go to fight...one will kill the other. There's no way to avoid that. I know Jungkook doesn't want the throne, but if JIn goes after him...he'll have no way but to fight back."

"Have you tried to talk to Jin?"

"I've tried and failed several times. He's not going to back off." Yoongi sighed.

Jimin stayed quiet for a while before replying. "You do realise Yoongi...that this time, JIn isn't actually worried about the dominion. He's doing this because he's worried about losing his throne."

Yoongi sighed. "Jimin, that's not-..."

"I don't wanna fight with you over this. Not now, coz I don't know when we'll be this close again. But, you know right from wrong,  Yoongi...I hope you know what to do when the time comes."

Jimin got up and pulled his hood down over his forehead. "I should leave now."

"Already?" 

Jimin smiled. "Do you want to get me killed seen here inside the castle by Seokjin's supporters?"