Meraki | jikook

Chapter VI

An Innocent Heart But An Iron Will

"You really shouldn't be doing this you know?"

Taehyung signalled Yoongi to keep quiet by placing a finger to his lips. Yoongi sighed but smiled anyway. Taehyung went back to observing his brother and his knight from behind the pillar. Jimin was currently in the garden, plucking a bunch of pretty flowers and cording their stems together to make a flower crown. Jeongguk sat on the grass beside him, reading a book with keen interest. Taehyung squinted his eyes and leaned forward to get a look at the title. He almost fell but Yoongi caught the back of his tunic and pulled him upright. Taehyung turned to Yoongi, pouting ungratefully.

"You stopped me from getting a look at the book."

Yoongi narrowed his eyes. "I stopped you from falling, revealing yourself and making a complete fool out of me in the process."

Taehyung swatted Yoongi's arm and peered again. This time his eyes caught the title of the book and he jumped, suppressing a squeal. He turned to Yoongi and shook the shorter man by his shoudlers.

"That's Jiminie's favourite book, my brother's favourite book Yoongi!"

Yoongi's eyes widened in surprise at Taehyung's antics but the prince went back to watching his brother indifferently. Jimin's tongue poked out the tiniest bit as he finished entwining the last stems of the flower crown. Then he turned to Jeongguk and placed the crown on his head. Jeongguk's eyes moved from the words in the book to Jimin's hand leaving his hair. The knight raised one eyebrow questioningly when Jimin giggled. Jeongguk smiled as he watched Jimin giggle, removing the flower crown from his head and placing it on the prince's. The flower crown suited Jimin perfectly, the combination of yellow and blue and purple flowers complementing his pastel pink hair. He looked gorgeous.

Taehyung gagged as he moved from behind the pillar and started making his way towards his room. Yoongi chuckled softly as Taehyung turned to him, the prince's face still contorted in disgust, but his eyes were shining with joy.

"They are so sweet it's disgusting really," Taehyung said, sighing and looking at his feet. "Jiminie is so happy. I am so happy."

Even though Taehyung was a year younger than Jimin, he was very protective of his elder brother. Jimin was a very sweet child since birth. He had always been the type of person who would hide their own suffering and comfort others. Taehyung ran into Seokjin on the way and held onto his elder brother's arm with a small smile on his face.

"If you're going to the gardens I suggest you wait for another hour or so." Seokjin looked in the direction of the gardens to see what was going on but Taehyung pulled his arm and led him farther away. "Not now hyung. Trust me." Seokjin stared at Taehyung, trying to decipher what was going through his brother's mind, before his eyes widened in realization and he laughed.

"Sure, I'll come by later then. Wouldn't want to interrupt something special."

Yoongi watched with wonder as Seokjin walked away and Taehyung turned back to him with a small grin. He tugged at Yoongi's arm for attention and cocked his head, silently asking the knight what he was thinking about.

"You seem pretty close with your brothers," Yoongi muttered cautiously, gauging Taehyung's reaction.

"We only ever had each other," Taehyung sighed, unconsciously playing with the end of Yoongi's sleeve. "Eomma passed away when I was eleven because of some illness. Jin hyung and Jiminie raised me since appa had to take care of the kingdom."