The Ugly Duckling [Jinkook, Minjoon, Taegiseok]

2: Crushes and Fiancés

Ages at the moment:

Jin and Yoongi: 13

Hoseok: 12

Namjoon: 11

Jungkook: 8

~~~~~

"Do it again!"

Yoongi and Jin laughed as Jungkook was entranced by Hoseok's sword skills. In his pursuit to become stronger, Jungkook often liked to 'play pretend' fighting with swords when actually he was trying to just become better without people realizing what he was doing.

A child with a fascination for swords was adorable, but a royal child learning how to fight with swords was very uncommon. Maybe even threatening to the current King and Queen, since it was tradition for them to be untrained and have a personal guard. Just another excuse for royalty to be lazy and get out of fighting their own wars, if you ask Hoseok. But that would get him hanged or something to say something like that out loud.

Hoseok just smiled and swung his sword in a circle, cutting open a sack of dirt that was made for soldier training.

"You're so cool, Hobi!" Jungkook bounced in his seat on a bench with the others. "Can you show me how to do that?"

"Sure, buddy." Hoseok gestured for him to come up, and Jungkook eagerly did so. "You hold the hilt like this. Good. Now when you swing, it has to be powerful and precise. If you don't focus, it'll swing at a weird angle and won't go through."

Hoseok stepped back and Jungkook almost lost his balance from the weight of the sword, but he planted his feet firmly on the ground and straightened his back, fixing his balance and getting into a fighting stance like he had seen Hoseok do. Jungkook frowned in concentration and swung the sword, hitting the top of the bag and chopping a bit of the corner off.

"Good job, Kookie," Jin clapped in encouragement.

"I almost missed the bag completely!" Jungkook pouted.

"But you didn't," Jin pointed out.

"And besides, it takes a lot of practice to be as good as me," Hoseok added with a wink. "You can get there, but it takes time. I've been learning this for half of my life already."

Jungkook handed the sword back and sat down next to Jin, leaning on his shoulder. They continued to watch as Hoseok got his daily practice in.

Yoongi watched with extra observant eyes, focusing on the way Hoseok's small but mighty muscles flexed with each stroke of the sword. Hoseok was already a strong 12 year old, and Yoongi knew that one day he was going to be amazingly strong.

And maybe, Yoongi thought muscular guys like his personal guard Hoseok were extremely attractive.

The training session was interrupted when the King and Queen of Busan walked into the training grounds.

"Mom! Dad!" Jungkook got up and ran over, hugging his mom around her waist since that's as high as he could reach.

"Hey, kids. Come with us to the throne room. We have something to discuss. Your parents are there waiting for you, Jin."

Jin nodded and stood up along with Yoongi.

They all walked to the throne room together, and Jin's parents were there waiting.

They didn't know was this was about, but it seemed serious so they stayed quiet and waited for their parents to speak.

Jin's father broke the silence.

"As you all know, our kingdoms are very close. But, we weren't always on friendly terms with each other. I think it's time that we told you all of you about our alliance conditions, as they effect you greatly."

"What do you mean, you're highness?" Jin asked. Ever since the title of crown prince was taken taken away, they also insisted that he no longer called them mom and dad.

"When you are all of age, you are to be married to Jungkook."

"I'm what?" Jin's eyes blew up wide.

"Really?!" Jungkook shouted with a huge smile before running up to Jin and throwing his arms around Jin's waist. "I'm gonna marry Jinnie?!"

Their parents were shocked to see Jungkook so excited, but they just shrugged it off, figuring that it was better that way since Jungkook wouldn't be suffering as much.

"Yes, baby," Jungkook's mother nodded. "You're going to marry Seokjin."

"Yay!" Jungkook was ecstatic. 

"Now why don't you kids go play in your rooms for a bit while the adults talk."

"Okay, mom!" Jungkook beamed, dragging Jin out of the room with Yoongi and Hoseok following behind.

Jungkook and Jin made their way to Jin's room, which was located on the opposite side of the castle from the royal family's rooms. Yoongi and Hoseok went back to the training area where Yoongi could watch Hoseok practice.

"I can't wait to grow up!" Jungkook smiled, jumping onto Jin's bed. "I'm going to grow up really fast so I can marry you faster!"

"You can't speed up time, silly," Jin laughed. "They mean once we both turn 18. That's in 10 years from now."

"Is 10 years a long time?"

"Well, Kookie, how old are you?"

"I'm 8! You should know that!"

"Well, is 8 years longer or shorter than 10?"

"Um... oh! I learned this in tutoring a few weeks ago! 10 years is longer!"

"So would you say that 10 years is a long time?"

"I guess so," Jungkook slightly deflated, realizing it would be a long time until he could marry Jin. "But that's okay! I can wait forever for you, Jinnie!"

Jin shook his head in disbelief, not understanding why Jungkook was so set on him. No one particularly was fond of Jin, and many people even had a strong dislike for him.

"You are always full of surprises. I don't understand why you want to be with me so much."

"You are so nice! And when we grow up and get married, you're going to be so pretty. The prettiest. And you'll be all mine, and everyone will be sad that they can't have you because you're mine," Jungkook explained.

"Is that so?" Jin giggled at Jungkook's antics, pushing back the thought of disappointing his favorite little Kookie when they grow up and he doesn't get any prettier.

"Yes! And I will have to protect you from all of the evil meanies that want to take you from me. I can be your knight in shining armor!"

"I thought you always wanted to be my king," Jin teased.

"I can be both!"

"That's a lot of work, though," Jin said. "Are you sure you can handle two big jobs like those?"

"I can do anything if it's for you, Jinnie!" Jungkook said with his eyes filled with determination.

"My, my, what imagination and optimism you have."

"What does opticism mean?"

"The word is optimism. And it means that you stay happy and believe the future holds great things."

"I know the future holds great things! I guess I am optimism."

"Kookie," Jin laughed. "If you have optimism, then you are optimistic, not optimism. And how do you know that the future holds great things?"

"Because you are my future!" Jungkook bounced on the bed in excitement. "I hope 10 years go by fast!"