Jungkook soared through the forest, the wind whistling past his wings as he returned home to his tree castle, carrying a bundle of clothes for Roseanne. He tapped lightly on the bathroom door, hesitating as he heard movement inside. When she opened the door, he immediately turned away as he was flustered by her quick response.

"I didn't mean to intrude! I brought you some clothes." he stammered.

She chuckled, "Don't worry. I'm still in my dress."

Relieved, he turned around and passed her the clothing before excusing himself, allowing her privacy.

After she finished bathing, she emerged from the bathroom, donning the borrowed garments that swamped her small frame. Jungkook could not help but grin at the comical sight.

"You look like you just raided a giant's wardrobe, Rosie." he teased gently.

Laughing at herself, she glanced down at the baggy clothes. "I feel like I am drowning in these!"

Curiosity sparked, she questioned him about the clothes' origin.

Jungkook hesitated before admitting, "I may have 'borrowed' them from a man who crashed the waterfall in the south."

Roseanne gasped at his revelation.

"Kion told me that he was the one who took his canine teeth away. I just did what I could before he does it again.", he explained his reason.

"Kion?", she asked in curiosity.

"Kion, a lion missing his left canine twenty years ago.", he answered. "That was when I found him and I brought him here to live as my assistant.", he added. "He's very good at taking care of the south. He and Tigra, my two most loyal assistants.", he smiled warmly, thinking of the two reliable friends.

"Tigra as in a tiger?", Roseanne guessed.

He nodded with a wider smile, "You've seen them the other day, right?"

She recalled before nodding, "Those two scary, big felines?"

He chuckled at how she addressed them, "They're not scary. The next time you see them, I will introduce them to you. You'll see how tame they can be."

"Speaking of them, are there any other animals in the forest?", she asked him.

"Yes, Tigra and Kion have their own families. There are some elephants, horses, monkeys, squirrels, snakes..", he laughed after counting with his fingers. "Basically, whatever wild animals that you know, Crimsonheart has them all."

She nodded, "Are they all tame?"

Jungkook smiled, "Depends on who you are."

"I get it. So, I have to be good with you.", she replied subtly.

"Why?"

"Because you are the king of this wondrous forest. They all obey you so I assume if I am good with you, they will be good with me too. Isn't it like that?", she smiled at her own assumption.

He chuckled before remembering what he wanted to tell her before he went out to steal the clothes for her that morning, "I almost forgot. I need to go out again. I'm supposed to be hunting for some fish today at the river."

"Hunting fish?", Roseanne asked.

"Yes, for our dinner. Grilled fish, do you eat that?", he responded.

A glimmer of excitement is shown on her face. "Of course I do. Oh...I feel hungry just by thinking of it now.", she patted her stomach animatedly.

Jungkook smiled at her reaction. "I want to get some fruits too. I see you brought a lot of berries here. Do you like berries only or do you like other fruits too?", he inquired.

A shy smile appeared on her face, "I'm sorry..you must have thought I am stealing them from you."

He shook his head, "Not at all. There are a lot of berries in the forest. You can take as much as you want."

"Actually, the berries I picked were supposed to be given to the people in my village. We were going to distribute them to grow them for our people so that they can make use of them and earn some money for living.", she explained. "Somehow, I ended up lost in here instead.", she added sadly.

"I can help you to go back to your village. I might not know where it is but I can ask the creatures here where you came from.", he replied.

"It's okay, Cal. I...want to be here for a while. Is that okay with you? If not, you can tell me. I will try to find my way back-"

"No! I mean...yes, I'm...okay with you..if you want to stay here for a while. I like you- I mean..I like your company. It- it's nice to have another human to talk to..", Jungkook scratched his head nervously, his words stumbling over each other.

In front of him, Roseanne remained silent, her expression was unreadable. His heart sank a little, fearing he might have said too much. To ease the sudden tension, he glanced at the sky.

"I should head out now to catch some fish and pick some fruits." he said, hoping to break the awkward silence.

As he turned to leave, Roseanne's voice broke the stillness. "Cal, wait," she murmured softly. "I love mangoes, grapes, bananas and oranges." she said, her eyes meeting his.

Jungkook paused, a faint smile spreading across his face. "Mangoes? I'm not sure if I could find it but I'll make sure to bring the others you mentioned." he replied, feeling a weight lift off his chest.

"Can I come with you?", she asked. "To pick fruits and...learn to hunt fish.", she added.

Jungkook was quiet as he was thinking whether he could bring her along or not.

"Furthermore, it will be lonely if I stay here alone. Whisper is not here to accompany me..", she told him.

He nodded, "But, we are going there by flying. Are you okay with that?"

Roseanne hesitated, "Flying?"

He nodded again, "Yes. The river is quite far from here. If by walking, I think you'd be tired before we reach there."

She looked worried, "But I've never flown before, and I'm scared of heights."

Reassuringly, Jungkook offered, "I'll be careful. You could hold onto me, or I could carry you in my arms. You decide."

Jokingly, she retorted, "What if you drop me midair?"

Chuckling, Jungkook vowed while extending his hand to her, "I won't. You can trust me."

Choosing to cling onto him, they took flight, soaring through the sky towards the breathtaking waterfall by the river. As they descended, he gently lowered her to the ground, concern etched on his face.

"Are you alright, Rosie? You were so quiet behind me." he inquired, his voice laced with worry.

She got a bit flustered and admitted, "I was scared at first, but then the view was so beautiful up there that my tears just fell."

She sheepishly glanced away as her cheeks bore the remnants of those tears. With a gentle touch, he wiped the tear stains from her cheeks, causing her breath to hitch.

Her gaze flickered from his eyes to his lips as he reassured her, "Hey, don't cry. I made sure I didn't drop you midair. We reached here safely, see?"

His attempt at lightening the mood faltered when her silence lingered. Worried he might have overstepped, he nervously called her name. It was then he noticed her gaze fixated on him, frozen in a silent reverie.

Reacting swiftly, he took flight again, "Wait here! I'll just grab some fruits from the trees."

Alone by the riverbank, Roseanne's heart raced, her thoughts a whirlwind of emotions. Jungkook's little caring gesture had caught her off guard, and she felt strange. Her heart never felt that way before but she wanted to learn about that feeling.

The strange yet familiar feeling.

"I've got bananas, oranges and grapes here but I can't find mangoes anywhere..", his voice startled her as he touched down with two baskets full of the fruits she asked.

"Oh, don't worry about it! Look at all these fruits you've gathered. These are more than enough.", she smiled as she looked at the baskets in front of her.

Jungkook settled beside her at the big rock, his wings gently folding behind him. He looked at her observing the fruits excitedly. Moments later, she reached into the basket for two bananas, offering him one of them, "Here, let's eat together."

He accepted the fruit graciously, sharing a moment of contented silence with her by the riverbank, the soothing sound of the waterfall serenading them.

"So, Cal, how do you hunt fish from the river? I'm curious to know.", Roseanne asked curiously.

"Ah, that! It's simple, actually. See that spot over there?", he pointed to a section of the river where fish are swimming. "You wait for the right moment, then swoop down and catch them with your hands. It's all about timing and a swift movement.", he explained the art of catching fish by hand, captivating her attention.

"Whoa, that's cool! I want to try.", she joined him to the river before copying his demonstration. "Ahh!", she almost got one but she was shocked by the scaly creature she had just touched.

"Are you okay, Rosie?", he rushed to her side, worry etched across his face as he inspected her hands for any sign of injury.

A small laughter came from her as he checked her hands.

"I'm fine. It's just...I never really touch a fish while it's moving. I'm just a little shocked.", she replied while he inspected her hands carefully. "Cal, I'm fine.", she assured him.

He sighed in relief, "Okay but don't scare me like that again."

She nodded and focused on the water again, but her mind lingered on Jungkook's evident concern for her. Lost in her thoughts, she inadvertently slipped on a mossy rock and screamed again.

"Rosie!", he swiftly reached out, steadying her before she fell into the river.

Despite the firm grip, Roseanne struggled to regain her balance, causing him to draw her closer until they were chest to chest. Her heart raced at the sudden proximity, and when she heard the seriousness in his voice, a hint of intimidation crept in.

"I told you...don't scare me. Please be careful, Rosie."

"Yeah, okay, I'm sorry for the trouble.", she apologized while trying to take a step back. "You can let go now, Cal.", she added.

With a slow nod, he reluctantly released his hold, allowing her to step back cautiously.

To avoid further mishaps, she moved to a safer spot along the riverbank, reassuring Jungkook that she would proceed cautiously. With a nod of approval, they resumed their fishing expedition until the day drifting towards dusk.

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As the day turned dark, the two of them returned to his tree castle, their baskets filled with the day's bounty. In the kitchen, Jungkook took charge of grilling the fish. He declined her offer to help, insisting that she should relax while he prepared the dinner. Reluctantly, she acquiesced and busied herself, making refreshing orange drinks at the other side of the kitchen.

Amidst their preparations, he and Roseanne engaged in light-hearted conversation. Nightfall enveloped the forest, casting a tranquil ambiance around his abode.

At one moment, his thoughts drifted to a question he had longed to ask her since she first stepped into his home. As they synchronized their movements, placing food and drinks on the table, he mustered the courage to inquire.

"Why aren't you scared of me?", his voice held a hint of vulnerability as they both approached the table simultaneously, their eyes meeting.

Her soft gaze met his blank stare with a warm smile. "Scared? Well, I never saw you as the 'monster' they described."

Perplexed, Jungkook blinked, taken aback by her response. "You never thought of me that way?"

She shook her head gently, "The first time I saw you...with that magnificent wings, I was mesmerized. You looked like an angel under the moonlight, not a monster at all, Cal."

Her words touched a chord within him. Her genuine astonishment at his appearance and her unwavering positivity towards him stirred emotions he seldom allowed himself to feel.

Her sincerity touched him deeply and before he could delve further into their conversation, Roseanne playfully poked his nose as she reassured him that he was far from a monster. Her carefree nature and unwavering kindness greatly touched him. It suddenly made his curiosity about her background piqued, but before he could inquire, she placed a piece of fish into his mouth, diverting his attention.

"How's the taste?", she inquired with a grin while pouring their drinks into the cups.

Jungkook hummed pleasantly, nodding in approval, "Delicious."

Observing his usually stoic expression, Roseanne playfully urged, "Help me out, Cal. Try to smile!"

Confused, he blinked before she pinched his cheek lightly, coaxing a smile from him. He complied, offering a small smile before stepping back to avoid further attacks on his face.

"See, you look good smiling." Roseanne remarked with a grin, causing a flutter of emotion swirling within him.

Her words sparked another genuine smile on his face as she busied herself setting up their dinner. While washing her hands, she smiled, hoping her words might chip away at the walls he had built around himself.

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Alright, guys. Between these two, who do you think has caught feelings for the other? 🤔