Nightmares Come True: A BU Story Rewritten

Part 2: The Meeting

The loose straw rustles as someone crashes down from a high stable window.

"A-ha!" Seongwon lifts himself to his hands and knees, nearly breathless. His eyes pan across the room, but there are no people to occupy it. Only horses stand in their stalls, perfectly content with the fresh treats in their troughs. "Huh? Jimin?"

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The prince and his guard trudge downhill along a long, dirt path. Facing forward, you're unable to see the end of it, and it looks as if it leads to nothing. A sky full of bright white clouds and vibrant red and orange trees make up their view of the landscape. Taehyung takes a deep breath and squeezes his eyes shut, turning his face towards the sun to try to absorb some of its warmth. The temperature has drastically cooled within the past few weeks, but not enough for the two to have contemplated bringing an extra layer. Standing still would cause anyone to get chilly, but their constant movement easily keeps them warm. In fact, both of them are getting quite hot. Jimin's uniform is heavy, and he has to run around chasing Taehyung, who's getting excited over nearly everything he sees.

He's been out here many times before, but this time is different. Myungjun's not hovering and watching his every action—another rule that Seokjin's implanted since he was a child. Taehyung is free to roam the unpopulated land around the castle, but only in instances where he has at least one head guard to take him. Spring is the time of year that he's found it easiest to get the guards to take him out, so most of his pleading to go out takes place then. Summers are too hot, and in autumn and winter, it simply seems that no one enjoys going out. So, the chilled air and dry, changing leaves are always more of a wonder to him than soft grass and fresh flowers.

If someone were to ask him his favorite time of year, it would be now. Cold nights where you have warm food and clothes comfort him. The crisp air always feels fresh when he leans out a window, and the earthy smells of the forests are refreshing, but then again, the season does have its cons. In the past, he would feel lonely most days. This is the time when his brother seems to have the most work, and when work piles up, the head and higher guards stay by his side. Taehyung may go days without seeing anyone he's familiar with, but this year has been different. He now has Jimin. Although he's not his official bodyguard yet, Jimin almost never lets the prince go anywhere without him. He smiles, relieved by the thought, but then scrunches his face, shuddering due to a cool gush of wind.

"I still can't believe you convinced me to agree to this." Jimin breaks the silence, shaking Taehyung from all thoughts. He clasps his hands together behind his head, stretching his arms and leaning his head back to rest his eyes. After his long exhale, only the crunching of their boots on the dry dirt is heard. Taehyung looks back with a mischievous smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He turns to walk backwards, crossing his arms and looking smug. "You did all the work."

"Well, I decided what was worse." He hops forward before breaking into a light jog to catch up to the prince. "Yes, it was my job to keep you inside, but if you were to encounter the worst, at least you wouldn't be alone. Taehyung, I'm not going to lie, though. If I get caught out here, I'm dead. And if you get caught, I'm still dead!"

Taehyung pats him a few times on the back. "Okay! We just won't get caught then! Great idea, Jimin!"

"I'm going to need a long day off after this..." He rubs his eyes and forehead, recovering from the tease. Taehyung giggles.

"How far is the border?"

"Oh, the western border is close."

"That's where they are, right?"