"Another book?" Jeongguk laughed as you pulled a colourful spine from the shelf and placed it on the pile he was currently holding, turning to stick your tongue out at him as you continued to load up on all the books you wanted to read.
When you finally pulled the last book, one about gardening, you turned to smile at him, "you shouldn't have taught me how to read if you didn't want to carry all my books." It was a new ritual that you had created, wondering the library and plucking books from the shelves to nestle up on the window seat to read.
You were wearing one of the dresses Jeongguk had gifted you, finding you enjoyed the fullness of the skirt more than your trousers. As you sat at the window, pulling your feet underneath you and grabbed a book from the pile that Jeongguk had just delicately placed on the seat.
Jeongguk sat opposite you, his eyes trained on your face as he pulled his bottom lip into his mouth. Glancing up from your book to see this sight, you pushed your foot out and kicked over the pile of books, giggling as Jeongguk cursed and swiped them on the floor, "you think you're funny little lamb?"
"The funniest," you tilted your head up with a laugh and watched as he stood up, sliding his hands under your knees and the other on your back as he hauled you up, sitting back down and holding you to stay sitting on his knee.
For a while you were content to sit like that, back resting on Jeongguk's chest as played with your hair. Until you caught sight of movement outside and once your gaze landed on the gardens, you found it almost impossible to drag it away, Jeongguk pressed a kiss to the crown of your head, asking, "Are you still planning your escape?"
The question took you by surprise, laughing you turned to face him and press a gentle kiss to the tip of his curved nose, "maybe." His eyebrows fell and he looked out at the garden as if trying to search what you were looking at but it was something he could never give you. Although you know slept on the bed every night and spent all your time practically joined at the hip with Jeongguk, you still dreamed of seeing your brothers again, to make sure they were okay.
You missed them with every fibre of your being.
"I'd let you go," he whispered and you pulled away from him in surprise, searching his eyes to see if he was joking or not, but the fact that he couldn't meet your eyes told you all you needed to know. Jeongguk was being honest, he would let you go home.
But you didn't run to pack your bags, instead, only one word stuck out in your mind, "why?"
It was weird to watch one of the strongest men you know cry, but a tear slid down his cheek as he looked in your eyes, "if you love something then let it go."
You wiped away the tear and smiled at him, "did Taehyung tell you that?" it wasn't the sort of mentality Jeongguk had to allow things he liked to leave, because he was someone that seemed to keep everything important to him, next to him.
You cupped his head in your hands and pressed a firm kiss to his lips before pulling away with a grin, "I have to figure out how I'm going to escape first." He laughed, a slightly choked sound before nodding and leaning his forehead against yours.
Every time you thought you'd seen all of Jeongguk he would show you another side of him and throw your head for a loop.
