THE RAVEN KING, yoonkook

chapter ix: repressed recollections resurfaced

! WARNING: later in the chapter, there is some violence & stuff.

When Yoongi sees Jungkook next, the boy looks exhausted. Dark shadows are set deep beneath eyes that stare vacantly off into the distance. He sits on a picnic blanket in the garden, idly picking at the edge of the sheet of fabric. The raven looks like he needs a good sleep, and Yoongi almost feels guilty.

The assassin sits down beside him, getting a small smile in response. Up close, Yoongi notices that a gauntness seems to be sinking into the boy's features as well. It's subtle, barely noticeable if you don't look closely, but it's there ― he wonders if this is a side effect of the poison. If so, while it might not have killed him, it has clearly weakened him. The magpie will have to make his next attack soon.

But, as he gazes at the boy king, all thoughts of killing him are gone. Jungkook seems to have that sort of effect on him, making him forget why he's here at all. It's not good, a potential weakness.

"I'm sorry." Jungkook says, voice a near sigh as he explains himself, "I had a late night. It's not you."

"That's alright. We don't have to do this, if you want ― you can go nap instead, if you'd rather." The dark haired boy shakes his head, rubbing his eyes. Slowly, he allows himself to sink down onto the blanket, lying across it. His hair spreads out around him, becoming a dark halo.

"I didn't sit through that whole last date just to cancel on you." Jungkook murmurs, lips barely moving as he talks, as though even that simple action uses up too much energy. Encouraged by the bright light of the sun, the king finds his eyes drooping slightly. He fights to keep them open, but it seems to be a losing battle. He yawns, "I like your company."

"Thank you." There's a moment of silence. Jungkook's eyes close completely; he doesn't reopen them. The older male gazes down in him, soaking in the sight: dried lips part slightly, cheeks are tickled pink in the heat of the sun, the sun glitters off his tanned skin and dark hair. In this moment (maybe even in all moments), he is undeniably attractive. This thought makes Yoongi uncomfortable. "You look tired."

"I really am." The younger sighs and his eyes open a little, gazing up at the older. He smiles apologetically. "There's just so much going on, with the war and all... And if I don't attend the meetings, I don't get a say and my uncle basically runs the show. At least if I'm there, I can have some input." Jungkook shuffles around, getting more comfortable. He tucks his arms up behind his head, using them as a pillow and a means to prop his head up a little more. His eyes are almost fully open now, only squinting because the sun makes it impossible to open completely. "I hope you realise, if you marry me, you'd have to deal with the politics too. It's all terribly boring."

"Then we could be terribly bored together." This is clearly a right answer, because it makes the younger chuckle and the smile remains on his lips. However, when he said it, Yoongi hadn't been thinking about what answer would appeal to the King.

The next thing he says comes out as a conspiratorial whisper, "Between you and me, that prospect doesn't sound completely bad."

*  *  *

Yoongi accepts another job. Typically, he only does one job at a time ― he'll dedicate himself to that one job, ensuring it's done quickly and effectively. However, he can tell assassinating the king will take time and, while the money is decent, this period of inactivity is also a period of non-profit. So he takes on an easy job: killing one of the rich lords.

Before deciding on a tactic, the magpie follows the lord around, studying his patterns, leading more about him ― like his frequent visits to brothels, despite his 'happy marriage'. This is also where he decides will be the easiest and most convenient location for killing him. While Yoongi does enjoy showing off and making these sorts of things harder for himself, he has a ball to attend tonight and can't afford to waste time. After this, once he collected his money, he will also have to go looking for some more clothing ― he's starting to run out.