"Welcome to Seoul, your highness." Taehyung ushers Jungkook off the plane. They left the agency a day and 12 hours Jungkook was rescued from Busan. It's currently one in the morning as they get off, it's much safer to travel during dawn and ungodly hours states Director Kim. So, here they are in Seoul, Taehyung is practically dragging a sleepy Jungkook through the airport terminal. In addition, he has to carry Jungkook's bags (normal clothes and other necessities, courtesy of the agency) which are heavier than Taehyung. Overall, Taehyung's sacrificial; if he had a choice, he'd leave the prince to fend for himself, but that would cost him his job and a lot of nagging from Director Kim, so no.

From here, Taehyung would escort Jungkook to his own apartment. He's worried Jungkook might get judgemental and picky over the place. It isn't like one of those fancy, high-class condominium units rich people own, it's like those rundown apartments with cracked ceilings and shitty floorboards. Taehyung's positive there are some rats renting the place as well; definitely not a place for a prince. Though, Taehyung doesn't bother coming home to the place anyway since he's mostly in the agency 24/7 on standby.

He worries for Jungkook, mostly.

However, witnessing Jungkook in this state – clad in a large white shirt underneath red and black jacket that is visibly too large for him, black jeans and black timberland boots with a white beanie perched on top on his head – all seems to be so natural. Jungkook looks good in casual clothes.

"Is your apartment far from here, Agent Kim?" Jungkook asks, a little bit groggy, a lot grumpy. Might I enlighten that Taehyung had his hand wrapped around Jungkook's wrist to avoid the prince from wandering off and/or getting lost in the crowd (which was still swarming at this unreasonable hour)? "It's a 20-minute drive from here plus the traffic. Are you tired?"

"I'm—" Jungkook yawns, covering his mouth with the hand Taehyung wasn't holding. "I'm fine."

"Hungry? Toilet break?"

"I'm fine, Agent Kim."

"Good. Let's get in the car, shall we?" Jungkook doesn't have to be told twice, he immediately slips inside the black Sedan as Taehyung pops open the trunk to place all his bags inside. Ah, he missed his car, gone on a few minor missions with it too, but ever since the agency secured helicopters (which made missions a whole lot easier) he decided it would be best to leave his precious back in Seoul. Hoseok's done an excellent job in taking care of it.

Speaking of Hoseok...

Taehyung gets into the passenger seat upfront where Hoseok is waiting for him, ready to drive them to that shitty apartment Taehyung kept on worrying about.

"Taehyung-ah, I've missed you!" Hoseok greets, a whisper-yell, trying not to wake up the sleeping prince at the back. "Hyung, we saw each other two weeks ago. But," he pauses, looking at Hoseok's joyful expression showcasing a big smile on his face, "I missed you, too." Taehyung smiles back and they drive off from the airport.

"I see you've got yourself a handful." Hoseok comments, adjusting the rear view mirror to eye Jungkook, currently snuggled up with Taehyung's enormous jacket on him to keep him warm. Taehyung sighs deeply making the older give a worrisome glance at him for a split second before focusing his eyes back on the road. "I don't know why Seokjin-hyung suddenly put him up with me for relocation, I mean, there are a lot of other agents available for the task, suitable too."

Taehyung recalls the night Seokjin set Jungkook up to be relocated in Seoul with him. Asking the question, "Why can't he relocate with you? You're the one with a penthouse in Ulsan." Seokjin only rolls his eyes and said that his word is final. Besides, Ulsan is closer to Busan, which might risk disclosure of Jungkook's location.

"Oh, come on, is it bad for your older brother to entrust you with such a big responsibility?"

"That's the problem, hyung knows I don't like responsibilities." Hoseok feels Taehyung drop the topic. It's been a while since Taehyung's talked about responsibilities. Maybe, Hoseok concludes, that he's still uncomfortable with the subject. Parents and all that family talk. Who hasn't had family trouble anyway?

Taehyung glances down on Hoseok's foot as he steps on the brakes. Remembering Hoseok had that injury about a month ago during the rescue mission of Liaoning's Prince which sent Hoseok away to China for about two weeks. "How have you been? Your foot seems to be getting better."

"Been better, and the doctor said I can get back to work soon, one to two weeks tops." Hoseok is an agent two years senior to Taehyung. They met in the training academy when Taehyung was a freshman; recalling the time when Taehyung didn't even know how to cock a gun. Now, he's a professional dealing with ammunition-related combats. "That's good, we've been lonely in the agency since you've been gone. Jimin's mouth wouldn't shut up about that mission he saw onscreen for a couple of days."

"Almost cost me my goddamn foot, Tae."

"Your fault not looking where you were going. That bear trap could've ripped it if it weren't for your boot."

"Who even puts a bear trap in the middle of a palace garden, Taehyung?"

Hoseok and Taehyung giggle; it was indeed a weird situation. Hoseok was leading his squad and the Prince on the outskirts of the palace through the garden when all of a sudden, Hoseok screeches in pain as his foot got caught on a trap. Minseok had to keep him silent with a gag until they finished unlatching Hoseok from it. Tragically enough, it was broadcasted on screen for the whole agency to see. Albeit it was a small trap, it hurt still. Minghao said it was for the thieves. "Anything on Prince Minghao, though?"

"He's doing fine, I guess. I mean, Junhui's got that covered, I think he's alright."

Hoseok nudges onto Jungkook, "So, what are you gonna do with Prince Charming over here?" To be completely honest, in Taehyung's two-year career in PPP, he's never come across a relocation plan with a prince before. Jimin's done it, but that was only for a week until they transferred that prince to another relocation unit. Maybe Seokjin will change his mind after a week as well?

Guess he'll just have to wing it, then. "I guess... Keep him busy until we've put his uncle behind bars or something."

"Aw, you can't take me out on dates, then?" Hoseok quips earning a punch from Taehyung.

"Shut up, hyung. He doesn't know that."

"He doesn't have to know that."

"Why would he have to know that?" Taehyung looks away from Hoseok whose done nothing more but to tease him. It makes him feel uncomfortable, the way he talks about their... relationship, or whatever it is they have. "That's... unnecessary." Taehyung hesitates dreading he might hurt Hoseok's feelings. Hoseok seems undeterred, though.

"Come on, Tae, I'm joking. Kid probably would freak out anyway. Y'know, straight since he's supposed to grow up moral and regal." It's barely even there in the first place, and they've never talked about it. Merely, some sort of three sentences each would exchange. Unexplainable; just complicates things a bit. "Let's just hope he's not homophobic." Hoseok jokes again.

"Yeah, let's." He receives an uneasy reply from Taehyung.

👑

Jungkook is awoken by Taehyung, they've reached the apartment. Even though Hoseok and Taehyung were the ones carrying his heavy loads, Jungkook's never been more thankful for elevators. Ascending thirteen floors would've been a burden.

Jungkook scans the apartment. It was rather spacious, but not really that particularly large. Beige colouring the walls gave it a home sort of vibe. It's clean, Taehyung thanks the heavens, sanitary than it's always been or as he's used to. Hoseok must've taken the initiative to clean the place seeing that they'd be living with a prince from now on.

Taehyung motions for the prince to sit down on the sofa, Jungkook complies immediately. "I'm going to do a little briefing on what to do and what not to do while you are on probation. Are you willing to listen?" Jungkook nods, attentive. "Good. Let's start first with your name. Hoseok and I will no longer call you Prince or Your Highness since you're in Seoul, there are no monarchical statuses here. We'll simply call you Jungkook, not to risk any further exposure and people knowing that the Prince of Busan is currently in Seoul." Taehyung eyes Jungkook's discomfort. "Call me Taehyung, to be fair."

"Next, you are not allowed to go out without me, your personal agent, you might get kidnapped and ransomed. Worst circumstance is that you'll be found out." The assertiveness exists in Taehyung's eyes. They pierce his insides, like Taehyung can see through him. The agent point out a few more regulations, Jungkook understands that these are for his safety, but he's feeling like he's being chained. He's afraid to speak, he doesn't want Taehyung to be upset at him.

"Lastly, you need to remember that you are here because your sister is in danger. If you're safe here, she is also safe there." The prince nods. Yes, this has been elaborated many times. Yes, they would do whatever they can to save the princess. Yes, he trusts them. He just couldn't bring himself to be confident. He won't forgive himself if anything happens to his sister; just like how he will never forgive himself for the death of his parents.

Tiredness is present in the faint glow of Jungkook's eyes. Taehyung takes pity on him. It had been a rough week for Jungkook, a rough month. Even a prince cannot escape the cruelty of life. "I still have a few errands left to run. You should rest some more." Hoseok's on cue, Taehyung nods to him, "Hoseok will lead you to your room. I'll be back in a few hours."

👑

Jungkook wakes up, it's a little over four o'clock in the morning still. He can't sleep, kept tossing and turning and ruining the beddings. It's a little too early for breakfast, Jungkook's not hungry either. Some air would help, he thinks, maybe it would calm his senses.

The foyer of the bedrooms are dark. Taehyung must not be back yet. Hoseok's taken a nap, as he'd tell Jungkook earlier after he escorted the Prince to his bedroom. Jungkook hastily puts on his boots. He'll be a back in a few, he says to himself. Just in time for Hoseok to wake up, or just before Taehyung can get home.

He isn't aware that Taehyung's unlocked the door, so when they meet in the hallway of the exit, Taehyung's eyes as intense as ever. "You know, if you're trying to escape, that's not really gonna work out for you." Jungkook takes a startled little jump. Taehyung's back. He shakes his head in denial, "I am not escaping. I was going out for some fresh air."

"What did we talk about going out without me?"

"I— I presumed you weren't home, and I—I just..." Jungkook trails off. Taehyung's eyes don't leave him for a bit and he feels conscious as earlier back at the agency before they left; he's never worn regular clothes in front of commoners before. The vulnerability he feels when he's in them; to remind him not everything in this world is not about power. Taehyung is upset, Jungkook knows there's a lot going on in his mind at the moment. He heard Hoseok and Taehyung conversing earlier during the ride to the apartment. Jungkook thinks they're lovers, but who was he to ask such a personal question? Taehyung's not even a friend, a mere acquaintance.

And he definitely heard that Taehyung didn't want any responsibilities; he heard it loud and clear. Taehyung implied that. Jungkook tends to overthink, so he lets his mouth move before he could think the words through: "You— don't want me here, am I correct?" It surprised the both of them, Taehyung more.

It stings Taehyung's heart, the way it slowly and cautiously rolls off of Jungkook's tongue, out of his lips. It stings so much; but Taehyung's been trained for this. To maim him, to make him stay put. Know that this is the real deal. The words he's about to say are about to hurt him as well, maybe more than this will hurt Jungkook.

"Of course, I don't." Venomous. Jungkook's breath hitches, his heart clenching as he takes in the bitter pill. Taehyung moves in closer, seemingly unfazed by what he's let out, unbeknownst to Jungkook that he's already as wounded as him. "Toughen up, Jungkook, this is the real world, not your fairytale kingdom." Taehyung's words hit him like a hurricane. Devastation. He's reminded that all this is hauntingly real. He won't ever wake up from this living nightmare.

"I a–apologize. I will try not to be much of a burden to you." Taehyung walks past him. Not a single word is spoken, not a single word is heard.

👑👑👑

wow again boring
but don't fret I'm gonna make it better
maybe, hopefully