• Children of Winter• || NamMin

11.2 The Horanghi proposal

"It's not my fault that dog was such a stunner."

"You could have left him at the lady's house. Now I feel sorry for him."

"Nothing happened to him, I returned him well."

Jimin pouts and avoids laughing. Namjoon told him that one day, a lady came to his door asking for help to find her dog. A blind animal and if he didn't help, it would surely be eaten to death by a predator. Namjoon felt sorry for her and helped her, got it and left it on the woman's land.

Not expecting that the dog would stray and they would have to look for him again, because the very foolish one fell into the river and was being carried all the way down. He remembers it as one of those few, almost zero, human interactions that do not generate discomfort for him.

"The lady thought I was a striped hound and not a tiger. I wonder if she knows the difference between a butterfly and a cow" Jimin punches his arm to keep him from being so cruel. "Anyway, it was a silly moment, but fun."

"Yes. Mostly silly." He collaborates with a grin.

"How about you, don't you have any silliness?" he asks curiously. Jimin looks toward the palace and stands up on his tiptoes to speak right into Namjoon's ear.

"I poured all of mom's makeup on Jin's hair to make it like mine, but his hair started to fall out and he had to wear a wig for six months." he relates in whispers and Namjoon gives a laugh so ugly it draws attention. Jimin covers his smile.

Even being a hideous exaggerator he finds it adorable.

"That must have been great."

"Not so much the scolding I got."

"It was worth it."

They continue walking through the snow. Namjoon decides to carry him when they pass a stone path that might bother his bare feet. Jimin blows on Namjoon's face, causing a confused, squinting gesture from the sneezing tiger.

"When are you going to go to your territory? I guess they gave it back to you. " comments Jimin with a curious leave. Jimin puts his feet back in the snow. He shivers with satisfaction at the sensation. He loves it.

"Yes. I got it for myself. Mon is on his way there to drop off the papers at home," Namjoon explains. "There are no chakos in this region, so nothing is going to happen to him. Unless you intend to do something 'illegal'."

"Huh, I see..."

"I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Hummmm."

Namjoon stops and so does Jimin. The leopard flees the gaze, but Namjoon grabs him by both hands, demanding his attention.

"Would you like to marry me?"

Jimin's eyes widen, hallucinating at the sudden proposal. Especially coming from Namjoon. He has a feeling that he is not someone who thinks of proposals of that sort. He is detached from human customs. Among them marriage. A stupid concept and made more for uniting families and estates than for genuine love.

Or that's what comes naturally to Namjoon. With Jimin despite being as usual, he is also a bit more human without realizing it.

"My territory is big" he informs with a nervous tone. With the feeling that if he doesn't expose all his offer, all his capabilities, Jimin is not going to accept it. Bodily he has already shown him how much he is capable of offering. From lots of attention to pleasurable relationships. He touches the rest. The stable part. "I can build almost anything with wood; I know how to hunt, sometimes I have work that way and... Maybe it's not a life in a palace with lots of riches, servants, luxuries and whatnot, but you'd be fine. You're not going to be alone, my lord." he concludes and Jimin's eyes give a huge glint.