Destined [JIKOOK]

Savior

Jungkook

"Come now, Jimin!  You could stand to take a page out of Prince Jungkook's book and loosen up a little!  This will be fun!"  The Eastern King said.

Jimin huffed and glared as me as I grinned with a goading, "Yeah, Jimin-ah!  Be more like me!  Loosen up a little!"

My father clapped a hand to my shoulder.  "Don't get so cocky there, boy.  You could stand to learn a little something from Prince Jimin too!  It wouldn't hurt you to act a little more refined and princely from time to time!"

Jimin snickered behind his gloved hand.  The Eastern King nodded in agreement with his friend.

"What say we make these boys pair up for the Hunt today, old friend?"

My father clapped as he chuckled.  "Yes, I'd say that would do them both some good.  Well, off to it then!  Best of luck, boys!"

Jimin refused to meet my eyes as he plucked at his bow string.  I growled in annoyance at his silence.

"Well, what is it?" I grumbled out.

"Its just...I'm not much of a hunter," he admitted quietly.

I smirked.  "Don't know how to use that thing, huh?" I pointed at his bow with my own.

He scowled at me.  "It's not that!  I can use this very well, thank you!  I didn't say I wasn't an archer, just not a hunter!  Forgive me for not wanting to see the corpse of some animal I just killed."

"Fiesty," I tweaked an eyebrow up, "I like that in a man.  And anyway, you eat dead animals, right?"

"Well, yes," he reluctantly conceded.

"Then you can kill one.  If you can't, you shouldn't be allowed to eat it," I stated as if it was the simplest concept in the world.

He scoffed, rolling his eyes.  "And you wonder why I called you barbaric."

I felt my face fall into a frown.  Tapping my heels into the silver flank of my horse, I maneuvered myself to face him.  "Do you think that your subjects are barbaric when they hunt to fill their children's bellies, too?  Someone will always have to kill that animal in order for you to consume it.  Do you really think you're so far above providing for yourself simply because you're a prince?"

His pink, plush lips parted in surprise, eyes wide as he considered me for a moment.  "I...no, I don't think myself above it, I just don't have the stomach for it is all.  I don't begrudge that it must be done, but rather in doing it myself.  I don't think I'd have the heart when it came down to the killing blow."

"So tenderhearted.  That's a good quality for a prince, but not if it comes at the expense of doing what one must to survive," I asserted.

"Survival is one thing. Sport is another.  I have no taste for hunting and I don't see a wrongdoing in that no matter how you spin it," he jutted his chin out and tapped his heels against the underside of his jet black horse, angling himself around the obstacle I'd made of myself.

"Come on, partner.  We have a hunt to join," he threw over his shoulder.

Jimin

Somehow I'd lost Jungkook.

Alone in the woods, I felt a sense of dread building inside me.  I was a skilled archer and a fair swordsman, but I had no interest in putting the talents to the test.  Despite my irritation with his presence, I longed for him to pop back up at my side with one of his teasing insults or flirtatious jabs.  Three days was all it had been since the ball where we'd danced on the terrace and already I felt safe and right in his company.

I hated that.

A twig breaking snapped my attention to the brush swallowing the southern edge of the clearing I'd stopped in.  A warning mewl of a wild cat sounded and I felt the bile and fear rising. 

The brush rustled as the large cat pounced, but not at me.  The squawk of a male voice echoed with the aggressive yowling and hissing from the cat into the clearing.  Without a second thought, I dismounted, drawing out my sword.  Moments later, I burst through the brush to see Jungkook fighting off the massive mountain lion with his bare hands. 

He was dripping blood from various wounds and slick with sweat.  His eyes were wild with fear and determination, but still he was making little headway and I could sense his exhaustion bearing down on him.  Without hesitation, I plunged my sword into the animal's spine at the base of it's skull as I'd been taught to do by my swordsmaster. 

With a final screech, the cat fell lifeless on top of Jungkook's panting body.  He heaved the beast off of him and stared up at me in disbelief.  My face was spattered with blood that had spurted from the animal and I knew I looked as powerful as I felt. 

"Thought you couldn't kill animals?  Didn't have the stomach or the heart for it?" He guffawed in disoriented amusement. 

I rolled my eyes and offered him a blood-slicked hand, which he took without question.  "And here I thought you'd be all 'Oh my savior!  My hero!  Thank you ever so much for saving me!' but no, ever the uncouth prince."

He tugged me into his arms, the stained sword in my hand clattering to the ground.  "Do you have a preference for how I thank you, Prince Jimin?"

"I-no, I...hands to yourself!" I halfheartedly protested.  Kiss me, kiss me, KISS ME! I wanted to scream, but instead, I sheathed my sword when he'd released me and made to grab the mountain lion's carcass instead.

As he watched me struggle with the weight of it, he chuckled and pushed me aside.  Slinging it over one shoulder and holding it with one arm, he grinned wide down at me.

"I'll just thank you by helping you with this instead then, I suppose."

"Well...okay, as long as you don't try to steal the credit for my kill!"

"I would never!" He lifted a hand to his collarbone in faux shock, "my hero!  My savior!"

I punched his shoulder, but couldn't stop my smirk nor my blush.