MOON || JIKOOK ✅

8.

JIMIN POV

Jimin had anticipated many
calls on his time during the first few weeks of his marriage.

It was customary or so he thought.

Lunches and dinners, events
to introduce him to the court
and the family.

But if any of that had ever
been planned, it didn't come
to pass.

That first day of his new life, after Jicheol's departure, had
set the tone for everything
that came after.

There was very little pressure
put to bear on him.

It was as if the whole castle
had taken a step back.

Perhaps it was a tradition of
the kingdom to let a new couple settle into their marriage.

But if that was so, then for
Jimin, it was missing one key component—his husband.

Oh, he saw Jungkook almost every day.

For a few moments after
lunch, which he took alone
in his parlor.

Or sometimes in the evening, when he finished dinner and walked the few steps back to
his room and they passed in
the corridor.

Breakfast he never seemed to manage, owing to sleeping so late that the sun was well
risen by the time he
struggled out of bed.

And his eyes rarely stayed
open long after dinner, his
bed calling to him again mere
hours after he'd relinquished it.

Food did not excite him, though after the first visit by the
palace doctor, he choked down enough so that the servants didn't grow concerned.

The opportunity to explore his new home similarly did not
grip him.

Sometimes, even the walk
from his bedroom to the parlor seemed like a momentous
effort.

As did bathing, dressing or
the mere act of existing.

And though Jungkook's appearances were fleeting,
Jimin had a vague awareness
of the alpha hovering in his periphery.

If not literally then figuratively,
if Jimin's gentle inquiries into how he was doing were any indication.

If this was married life, Jimin thought he could survive it.

Certainly, it was far easier to sleep through his existence
than to face it and all he'd lost.

And then, one afternoon, something changed.

He dragged himself out of bed, unable to muster up the energy to do more than wash his
face and made the onerous journey to his parlor to eat so the servants wouldn't suggest calling the doctor again.

He stepped through the door, expecting to see the small table laid for one and instead found someone already there.

His husband stood by the window, his back to Jimin, though he turned at the
sound of the door opening.

"Prince Jungkook?"

He blinked in surprise, half-expecting the alpha to be a figment of his imagination.

"You should probably call me Jungkook, seeing as we're
almost a month married." The prince said brightly.

"Good afternoon, Prince Jimin."

"I hope you're well today."

Jimin broke the alpha's gaze and tugged on his rumpled clothes, shame burning his cheeks.