Chapter Text
Prelude: I Wish (Upon a Star)
Seokjin is leaning at the window again, staring out at the sky with something heavy weighing him down deep inside of his chest. He's so tired of this, of working so hard for nothing to come of it, of being stuck in this small, dingy apartment barely big enough for himself. Add his two closest friends to the mix and they basically live in a tiny sardine can. A snore behind him has Jin turning, shifting to lean over and pull the threadbare blanket over Namjoon's chest where it had fallen before. Jungkook, Jin knows, is asleep in the actual bedroom, curled up on the bed instead of the little bedroll that's on the floor that Jin had put down for himself. He was their Hyung after all, they should get the more comfortable spots in the place, even if the bed and couch were barely considered comfortable.
Turning back to the window, Jin bites hard into his bottom lip to stave off the sudden burning in his eyes, leaning his head against the slowly fogging glass with a dull thunk.
How did they get here? How is it that between the three of them that there's hardly enough food to fill their stomachs, that they still barely have enough money left from bills to pay for this shitty apartment? This isn't living, this is torture. At this rate, all three of them would be on the street in another six months at the most, if they're lucky.
And what of his friends then, Seokjin wonders, glancing back at Namjoon again, thinking of Jungkook curled in on himself in the other room, what happens to his friends then? What happens to him , for that matter?
Seokjin bites back the sob threatening to build in his chest, turning back to the window and ignoring the fact that he can see his bottom lip quivering in the reflection of the glass where the fog has yet to reach. A single tear slips down his cheek and he closes his eyes when he catches sight of it, breathing in as deeply as he can.
I wish things were different , Seokjin repeats in his head, over and over again, his own brand of despair building with each passing breath, something has to change before we break.
A little yellow light flashes outside of his window bright enough that Seokjin opens his eyes to try and find the source, but he can't bother himself to find it in the end. He's so busy looking out the window that he doesn't hear the soft padding of footsteps until someone is settling down on the ground next to him.
Jungkook leans against Seokjin, eyes heavy with sleep, but he can still tell that his youngest friend is worried.
"Hyung," Jungkook whispers, glancing at Namjoon who rolls onto his side on the couch with a low groan. His eyes are wide and awake when Jungkook looks back at him, something sad hidden carefully in his face. "Come on. It's bedtime now."
Seokjin doesn't have the energy to spend fighting Jungkook on giving him orders, and he's not sure he'd take it right now, anyways.
"Yeah, alright." Seokjin sighs, smiling a little ruefully when Jungkook stands up and offers his hand to his Hyung with a barely there smile. Jin takes it easily, allows Jungkook to haul him up onto his feet and pull him down the hall to their little shared room. He isn't surprised when Jungkook scoots all the way to the side on the bed, or when he pats the spot next to him.
Maybe Jin isn't the only one here who needs comfort tonight.
Shaking his head fondly, Seokjin climbs into the bed and curls himself around Jungkook, who snuggles into him with a shuddering sigh and pats Seokjin's hand.
"It'll get better." Jungkook insists lowly, pressing himself as close to Seokjin as he can manage, his hands clutched in the front of Seokjin's shirt. When he next speaks, Jungkook sounds more young than Seokjin had ever heard him sound before. "Won't it, Hyung?"
"Yeah, Kook-ah." Seokjin sighs, ruffling Jungkook's hair with the force of it. If he can hear the way Jin's voice wobbles then he doesn't bring it up. "It will."
The words seem to relax Jungkook regardless, like Seokjin's word is law or something equally as silly, but it doesn't stop Jin from staring up at the ceiling covered in little glow in the dark stars, his whole body taut with the force of his thoughts.
I wish.
--
Chapter One: Not Alone
Something's obviously changed, and the heaviness of the apartment is apparent when Jin comes home from Job #2 weighed down with food that the Auntie from the restaurant forces him to take home. She knows more than she should, and had caught Seokjin mid breakdown sometime a few months back when he was trying to figure out how to pay for food for the apartment.
Neither of his friends are that great at hiding how they feel from him, so Seokjin walks right into the kitchen, unsurprised to find Namjoon sat at the kitchen table. What is surprising is what he's looking through, and the shoebox that Seokjin keeps the apartment bills in lays empty on the floor, the papers flooding their table. He doesn't get a chance to be angry that Namjoon looked through his things, or that he's looking over paperwork that Jin had worked for the last year to keep hidden from them.
"Hyung, what is all this?" Namjoon asks quietly, frowning down at the rubber band wrapped pile that had a sticky note that glares up at Seokjin with a bright red Unpaid , like it's teasing him for existing. Namjoon looks worried, keeps looking at Seokjin and back down at the pile of bills and back at Jin like something will miraculously change. Namjoon has to understand though, there's something in his face flittering between hopeful and horribly distraught, but Seokjin is sure he understands.
After all, Namjoon has always been good with numbers.
Seokjin gently takes the papers, places them back in the shoebox and puts the box on the floor, placing the food bag on the table. He can hear Namjoon's stomach grumble, can see a couple of empty cupboards hanging open and feels another pang of guilt.
"Those are bills," Seokjin sighs, sending a quick text to Jungkook on his phone, smiling when his phone chirps with excited emoticons from Jungkook.
Namjoon waits patiently while Seokjin divvies him out some of the food before groaning and pushing over an entire container of Jjajangmyeon to him and watching the way his eyes light up. Auntie knows him and his friends too well, he's sure that he'll find Kimchi-Jjigae and rice cakes somewhere in other containers, and spicy noodles made with himself in mind. He owes Auntie so much.
"Okay," Namjoon mumbles with his mouth full of food, chewing quickly in order to continue speaking. Seokjin hadn't even noticed him opening the containers. "But why are there so many bills?"
Seokjin takes a deep breath, food suddenly the last thought in his mind, and he leans over to grab the box of bills again, placing it back on the table. He pulls out the first piece of paper, pushing it over to Namjoon.
"Utilities," Seokjin sighs, pointing to the first line and shaking his head before moving to a few separate pieces of paper. "Water usage, electricity, internet."
He grabs another paper and shoves it over, gritting his teeth against the sudden urge to shove all the food off the table and scream about how unfair this is. "Rent."
Grabbing another paper, he slams it onto the table, pressure building behind his eyes. "Trash removal, the cost of the fucking groceries."
Collapsing down against the kitchen chair, Seokjin presses the heels of his hands against his eyes, shuddering. It's too much today, everything is all too much, and if he's honest? It's a miracle that he's hidden just how far in the hole they are for so long. Namjoon is staring at him, his food all but forgotten, Seokjin can feel his gaze right on him. It's overwhelming, more so than the pile of bills still spread out in front of him.
The door opens and Seokjin jumps into movement, freezing when Jungkook comes into the kitchen and zeros in on the shoebox first before looking to Namjoon with a look in his eye too old for his age.
"I told you to leave the box alone , Hyung." He says, his voice soft as he looks between Namjoon and Seokjin. "I could have handled it all on my own."
Seokjin has a flash of finding close to almost 70,000 extra won in the shared living account they all got together the last few months, and shame cuts through him so deeply that he isn't able to stop the build of tears from spilling over.
Jungkook added money to the account and Seokjin didn't even know.
"I'm so sorry, Jungkook-ah. Why would you do that, Hyung is so sorry." Seokjin barely gets to speak before there are arms wrapping around him, Jungkook plastered from the front, Namjoon pressing against his back.
You work too hard , they say to him later, when they've all calmed down a little, taking turns patting Seokjin's hair and squeezing him tight enough to ground him while he cries.
Let us help you , they plead, worry on both of their faces as they hover over Seokjin, Jungkook wiping his Hyung's eyes with the sleeve of his shirt, Namjoon grabbing a glass of water and watching him drink it.
You're not alone here , they remind Seokjin fondly, heating up the cold food and piling on the couch together to eat. Remember that, please. It's a request and it's not, but it leaves Seokjin feeling much lighter than he had before.
After they've eaten and shoved the absurd amount of leftovers in the fridge, all three of them pile onto Jungkook's bed in the bedroom. Two people on that bed was already a tight fit, but Seokjin is currently sandwiched between two adult men, both of whom are taller than him, and he finds himself so exhausted that he doesn't bother fighting the escape of sleep.
That night, he dreams of a house in the middle of woods he's sure that he's never seen before, of a fluttering yellow light buzzing around his head excitedly, and a low pleased voice telling him that he's been heard, that he's more than worthy of an escape.
After all-
All he has to do is ask.
--
Chapter two: Little Light
It happens roughly a week later, after both Namjoon and Jungkook struggle to get second jobs themselves.
There's a crash from the bedroom and Jungkook squawks in surprise, comes thundering into Namjoon's area chasing after what seems to be a little ball of light right through the room. Namjoon jumps up with a shout, cries of I knew I wasn't seeing things and catch it, quick ! echoing loudly enough through the apartment that their next door neighbors start banging on the walls from both sides.
" Hey," Seokjin calls, distracting his two rampaging friends. "Stop it right now, you're disturbing people and it's late and people are trying to sleep."
The light has flown somewhere, hiding from all the ruckus and Seokjin is too tired to deal with this. He just wanted to sleep for fucks sake, he has to be awake at four in the morning and it's already almost midnight.
"Joonie, go sleep in Jungkook's room tonight." Seokjin sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose when it looks like they're going to argue with him. "This not up for debate. Go to bed boys. Now."
They shuffle off, mumbling about the light and how they shouldn't have left the window open last night. It's probably not even their fault that the weird thing got inside, it wouldn't have happened if not for the AC in their apartment giving out.
Seokjin groans loudly, shuffling over to the window and prying it open as wide as it can go, briefly grimacing at the blast of humidity that hits his face before turning back around to scan the room. He didn't see where the light went, what it could have been or anything, but Seokjin knows that if he was trapped here he'd probably go insane.
"Hey, if you want to leave, nobody will stop you." Jin sits on the floor, reaching over for the threadbare blanket Namjoon left behind and pulling it around himself. It's not comfortable in the least, but it's getting nicer to be under the window, even if he can smell the smog from here. He's lived in Seoul all his life, he's pretty much used to it by now, even if he does hate not remembering what the stars look like. Vaguely, Seokjin wonders just how long it'll take to get such a tiny creature out of his apartment and if he's willing to give up more sleep to deal with it.
Just when he feels a little like he might be going crazy, there's a faint buzzing sound, not unlike a large bumblebee or a hummingbird right by his ear. It takes every ounce of self control that Jin has not to flinch, but he can't help it. He hates bugs, but that doesn't mean that he wants to let Namjoon and Jungkook get their hands on this one either.
The little light flits out from around his ear, which he will be forever thankful for, and just kind of hovers in front of Seokjin, and for a split second he feels absurdly like he's being judged.
"Look," He begins, clearly startling whatever this little light is, since it emits a tiny high pitched squeak and flutters backwards for a minute before swaying forward again like it actually wants to hear what Seokjin has to say. "I'm sorry my friends scared you, but I need sleep sometime tonight or else I won't be able to wake up tomorrow for my job. If it's alright with you , little light, I'd rather sleep without my own personal night light fluttering around my face."
It's the most polite way he's ever asked someone to leave the apartment, and for all Seokjin knows, he's being polite to a lightning bug who came into contact with nuclear waste.
There's a little tinkling sound, squeaky and joyful sounding, and Seokjin is startled by the potential of this thing laughing at him. Creatures and Lore flash through his mind, memories of his mother curling around him with a Book of Fairy Tales, and he recalls one in particular where something similar happened.
Peter fucking Pan.
It suits, in a bizarre sort of way, that a little ball of seemingly sentient light comes in through the window and laughs with Seokjin. He should probably be freaked out by this, and he most likely will at a later date, but he's tired and working himself to the bone. He could use a good fairy tale in his life right now, so Seokjin takes the plunge.
"Are you laughing at me, Tink?" Seokjin asks, irrationally pleased when the light shifts from a soft yellow to a shade of pink similar to that of a blush. "How fucking crazy do you think I have to be before assuming that I'm talking to a real life fairy?"
The creature squeaks again when Seokjin looks back at it and he rolls his shoulders in an overexaggerated shrug. Hell, if this is all just a hallucination because of exhaustion then he might as well accept it.
"Right. So here's the deal, I really do have to sleep. But why don't you come back again a few days from now and I can introduce you to the boys without it being a manhunt. Fairy hunt? Whatever." Seokjin yawns, watches the creature flutter around nervously for a few seconds before it darts close and throws something in Seokjin's face that smells like Honeysuckle and Earth before the rain falls.
"Hey, rude." Seokjin mumbles near incoherently and swatting at his own face, oozing onto the floor and curling up into a ball. He's asleep within seconds, so he misses when the light flashes and grows in size, leaving behind a blonde haired boy with a pout on his face, looking down at Seokjin like he's a puzzle he can't quite figure out.
The stranger grabs the blanket that slipped off of Seokjin on the way onto the floor and drapes it back over him before smiling down at him and stepping over to the windowsill. He looks back over his shoulder at the mass of Seokjin on the floor and grinning widely.
"See you soon," The stranger promises with a bright grin, his body shrinking back down and glowing brighter than it had before, and it flits out of the window with a shrill tinkling laugh.
The next morning, Seokjin wakes on the floor feeling more rested than he's felt in a long time, and by the time he staggers to the bathroom and remembers what happened the night before, the still shining remnants of glitter are faint on his cheek.
--
Chapter three: All Night
Another week has gone by before the light comes back, and Seokjin had already been trying to convince himself that he hadn't actually seen anything, no matter how many times Namjoon and Jungkook admitted that it really happened. The two of them got a second job each, so they're all coming and going at odd times of day and night, and Seokjin is currently committed to waiting for Jungkook come home so they can all share a meal, even if it takes all night.
Of course , that's when it happens.
There's the feeling of being watched to start with, and at first Seokjin assumes it's Namjoon, but he's cooking dinner for when Jungkook comes home because he's always ravenous after a late shift at the all night coffee shop down the road.
Then comes the little taptaptap on the window, like someone's throwing pebbles at it, but when Seokjin lifts the window and looks down at the street below, he finds nothing. Something passes by his head and he squeals, twisting around and gaping at the light currently fluttering around the apartment, pausing every so often to check things out.
It stops at the television, flies right into the screen a few times, flutters over to the couch and lifts the edge of the ratty blanket of Namjoon's. Seokjin watches it for too long, the way it stops at a few of the pictures on the wall, lingering at the one of the three of them, Seokjin, Namjoon, and Jungkook, all smiling widely, looking for all the world like they had their shit together.
Finally, it finds the doorway, where it hovers and watches Namjoon dance around the kitchen, darting out of sight every time he turns around. Seokjin's trying hard not to laugh at the sight, but he can't help it when the little thing flies into the kitchen and hovers right over Namjoon, who is listening to music too loudly to notice the buzzing.
Jungkook gets home a few minutes later, looking tired but content, and Jin can't help but feel the same. Lately, the account balance has been more out of the red than not, and three of their previous bills have already been paid off. It's nice to be able to take time off and not immediately worry that they're going to lose the apartment.
"Welcome home, Kook-ah." Seokjin calls, momentarily forgetting the little creature above Namjoon's head, remembering it only when Jungkook stares open mouthed at it. He lunges forward, but Seokjin stops him with a hand pressed against his chest and a shake of his head. "I'll introduce you later. Eat first."
"Introduce who?" Namjoon asks, pulling out his headphones and plating the food he'd made for Jungkook with a grin. Wordlessly, Jungkook gestures to the little light above Namjoon's head, wincing with the sharpness of his yelp when he jolts out from underneath the little light.
Seokjin sighs when the little thing flutters over to him and hides in his hair. He's suddenly grateful that he washed his hair so thoroughly when he was in the shower earlier, because oddly enough, he doesn't want to potentially offend his new little friend.
"Jungkook-ah, I meant it. Eat." Seokjin gestures to the table, only sitting when Jungkook obediently sits and starts shoveling food into his mouth like he hadn't eaten in days, refusing to take his eyes off Seokjin's head for more than a minute. Even Namjoon calms himself and sits down, glancing anxiously from Jungkook's bowl of rapidly decreasing food and the little thing Seokjin can feel moving on his head.
If he's not mistaken, it feels an awful lot like he's being petted right now. Surprisingly, he doesn't hate it.
When Jungkook swallows down the last bite of the meal Seokjin doubts he even tasted, he and Namjoon look at him with their eyes wide in disbelief.
"What is it?" Jungkook asks, his voice low and full of awe. Namjoon is already mumbling to himself about the things it could be, but no one even gets as close as he had.
"Did you guys ever see the movie Peter Pan?" Seokjin asks instead, flinching when the little light squeals shrilly from on top of his head. He won't blame his friends if they don't believe him, Seokjin barely believes this is happening.
Jungkook nods, still looking confused, while Namjoon's mouth falls open, a bit of wariness creeping into his face as he looks from the creature back to Seokjin.
"Hyung," Namjoon begins slowly, shaking his head a little, with a look like pity on his face. "You can't actually believe that it's a fairy , can you? I mean, fairies don't-"
Seokjin lunges for Namjoon when the creature cries out in the middle of Namjoon's sentence, sounding an awful lot like it's in pain.
"If you remember the movie then you remember why you won't finish that sentence. " Seokjin insists, pulling his hand back when realization creeps across Namjoon's features and he looks chastised. He's raising his hands up to his hair without thinking about it, smiling when he feels pressure on his palm and bringing the creature up to his face.
Surely enough, the light flickers momentarily, and Seokjin can spy a blonde head of hair, wide eyes and a grateful look on a face smaller than a Barbie doll's, and Seokjin sighs.
"You alright, Tink?" He asks, grinning himself when the smile turns disgusted and the little fairy sticks it's tongue out at him, and flutters over to Namjoon, close enough for him to see the person behind the light.
"No way, is it really Tinkerbell?" Jungkook is wriggling in his seat like he wants nothing more to do than touch, but the fairy is now currently perched on Namjoon's palm, glowing with that faint rosy hue again, and Seokjin smirks.
Namjoon is beaming down at the creature, teeth and dimples on display, pleasure practically oozing out of him. Seokjin has been on the end of that smile a few times, he knows how difficult it is to resist, and wonders how his fairy friend will fare.
"He's a boy fairy I think," Namjoon says softly, blinking almost sleepily down at the little thing in his hand. "I'm not sure."
"I don't want to keep calling it an it though." Jungkook looks uncertain, though that fades when the fairy flutters its way over to him and perches on Jungkook's finger when he holds it out. "You're so tiny."
"Call them a them then, until we find out, or if we don't then oh well." Namjoon rolls his shoulders and pretends like he isn't interested in the fairy now that they aren't focused on him anymore.
Seokjin leans back in his chair with a smile, watching his friends try not to freak out over meeting what would have been a mythological creature on any other day besides today. Honestly, Seokjin isn't sure how he's holding back from freaking out, but he's grateful for it.
Suddenly, Seokjin gets an idea, claps his hands together, startling fairy and humans alike before running off to his room and grabbing an old battered book off his shelf. He flips through the pages until he finds the story he's looking for and heads back to the kitchen, all three occupants somehow managing to look a bit worried.
"Who wants to read a story?" Seokjin asks, remembering how Peter used to hide outside of Wendy's windows for her storytime, and finds that he's not as creeped out by the potential as he should be.
The four of them maneuver into the sitting room, curled up on the couch together, and Seokjin reads the beginning of Peter Pan until his friends fall asleep curled on opposite ends of the couch. The fairy lingers, fluttering their wings sleepily and darting from Seokjin's shoulder back over to the window, which had been shut earlier by Jungkook to quiet the endlessly busy streets of Seoul.
"You can come back the same day next week if you want." Seokjin offers, standing up and shuffling over to the window to open it. "I have time off again next week and I'll read from the book again."
The fairy buzzes in a way that Seokjin feels is happy, flitting to land on Namjoon's sleeping head and then Jungkook's before doing the same to Seokjin and flying out the window faster than they'd flown before.
Once he's sure the fairy is gone, Seokjin sighs harshly, shaking his head and marking his spot in the book, setting it aside before he lifts Jungkook into his arms and heads for the bedroom, laying him down. He tucks Jungkook in with a smile, heading back to the other room to do the same for Namjoon before he heads back to the bedroom to collapse tiredly on the bedroll.
He doesn't expect it to become a recurring thing. Seokjin is glad when it does.
--
Chapter four: Friends
It quickly becomes routine, pulling out the ratty old book and reading from old fairy tales. After Peter Pan comes Beauty and the Beast, then Hunchback of Notre Dame, quickly followed by Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel.
Tonight, they're reading The Little Mermaid, all the bedding in the living room, where the couch is pressed back against the wall so they can all stretch out easily. There's four sleeping mats all laying next to each other, and the window stays open every night. So far, Tink hasn't shown up any other day besides Reading Time, but they're all a little hopeful.
Honestly, Seokjin has really been looking forward to tonight. Their landlord somehow found out that they're doing better money wise lately and raised the rent for all the noise that comes with men their age. When Seokjin told Namjoon and Jungkook, they had apologized profusely for chasing after Tink, or for getting too excited lately. There shouldn't be a tax on happiness, Seokjin had reassured them, but it was already starting to weigh on him; to eat at their hard work proven in their bank accounts. He'd done the grocery shopping this morning, and he'll remember the looks on his friends' faces when he walked in the door with a special drink for the two of them and four 25 packs of instant ramen instead of the fresh vegetables they'd gotten used to over the last month.
He was determined to not let it bleed into Reading Time though, so when Tink showed up during Jungkook's dinner of instant Ramen with two fresh eggs, the others celebrated while Seokjin sat on the sleep mats and found the page they had left off on.
By the time Tink and the others had migrated into the room with him, Seokjin was in a decently foul mood, recalling the look on their landlords face when he'd grinned and practically demanded more money each month. Still, the boys and fairy settled in and waited for Jin to start, so he did. Something must have shown, because the longer he read, the more blue Tink glowed until they flew into the fourth mat and grew until he was human sized.
"Hyung," Tink pouted, apparently not noticing the way all three of them were staring open mouthed at them. They put their hands on their waist and huffed. "Did something happen? You're not reading it right."
"What the- could you do this the whole time?" Jungkook crowed, his eyes wide as he took in a suddenly smirking Tink. "Tink, what the hell?"
Tink's eyes flashed as they looked back and forth between all three of them before their eyes landed on Namjoon and they grinned. "I am a boy fairy, you know. You got it right."
Namjoon flushed a bright pink, but didn't speak, and Tink turned back to Seokjin, lips turned up in a pout again. "Well?"
"Our rent got raised again." Seokjin forces himself to shrug, keeps himself from flinching when Tink's eyes narrow and he downright glares at Seokjin. "It's not a big deal."
"Has anyone ever told you that you're not a very good liar?" Tink asks, one eyebrow raising as he crosses his arms in front of his chest. The room falls silent, and Tink rolls his eyes, flopping back on the mat, sparkly dust poofing out from under him when he falls heavily onto his golden wings. "Are we not good enough friends yet for you to tell me how you feel? I don't remember human etiquette."
Are we not good enough friends rattles around in Seokjin's head when he finds Namjoon and Jungkook staring at him instead of the suddenly human sized fairy and he rolls his eyes, marks the page in his book and sets it aside.
"Of course I'm not happy about it." Seokjin picks at a thread that came loose on the hem of his shirt, shaking his head a little bit so his bangs shade his eyes. "We just started doing well, and now we're back where we started. It's frustrating and I'm so fucking tired of struggling with nothing to show for it in the end."
He's upset, he's always upset it seems, always struggling to keep his head afloat, and Seokjin's convinced that nothing will ever change.
Seoul is expensive, Seokjin-ah he hears his father say reproachfully, shaking his head. You either make it, or run yourself into the ground trying to keep afloat.
How long can he do this for? How long can he keep up the struggle and tell himself it's for the best?
"I wish we could go somewhere where none of this matters." Jungkook whispers, nearly too soft for anyone to hear. Seokjin does though, reaching over to pat his hand, and so does Namjoon by the way he pulls Jungkook against him in a hug.
"Me too, Kook-ah." Seokjin admits, blowing out a puff of air and shaking his head with a sad little smile. "Me too."
"Me three," Namjoon pipes in, and Tink stays thankfully quiet for a little while until suddenly, he looks almost insecure.
"Should I go?" He asks, the musical lilt of his voice all but diminished in the shadow of their woes. "I can leave if you'd rather be alone."
"I'd rather be distracted." Seokjin admits, picking up his book and allowing a small smile to grace his lips while Namjoon and Jungkook agree with him. "After all, it's Reading Time, isn't it? Let's forget for a little while."
"Okay," Tink says easily with a grin, pulling the ratty old blanket around himself and leaning against Namjoon for support when Seokjin begins to read from the beginning of the book, grinning when Tink's face lights up at the mention of mermaids.
All too soon, Reading Time is over, Namjoon and Jungkook have long since fallen asleep, and Tink looks thoughtful sitting on the sleeping mat. He catches Seokjin watching him and offers a small smile, glancing briefly at the closed window. Seokjin knows Tink needs to go, knows he never stays longer until reading time is over, but it makes him more sad this time, especially after seeing the way Tink's face seems a little more shuttered after their talk today.
"Will you come back?" Seokjin can't stop himself from asking, stepping over Jungkook and sliding the window up. He turns back to Tink, who suddenly looks uncertain. "There's no fairy law saying that you can't come back now that we've seen what you look like, is there?"
Tink's face melts from uncertain back to thoroughly amused, and he shakes his head at Seokjin, who grins back. "No, there's no fairy laws at all, really. We just make it up as we go, there's not really many fairies in the human realm."
" Human realm? So where do you live then?" At Tink's dry look, Jin glances over at the book and huffs a breath in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? Neverland is real?"
"There's a living breathing fairy literally standing in front of you." Tink steps closer to Seokjin, fluttering his buttercup yellow wings rapidly, a soft golden glow ringing his eyes. "Yet the thought of Neverland is too far fetched for you?"
Seokjin snickers when Tink's disbelief turns into a look of frustration and he tosses his hair back and out of his eyes, glaring at Seokjin and crossing his arms over his chest.
"I can see you though, there's a difference." Seokjin shrugs, leaning against the window and glancing out at the foggy night sky. "I know you exist because I see you. I'm sure that Neverland is real because you exist, but right now, that idea is just too far fetched for me."
"Why?" Tink sounds curious and demanding all at once, like he's used to getting his way, and Seokjin suddenly recalls Tinkerbell's fascination and sudden disgust at Wendy coming to Neverland for Peter and wonders if the red tint to his cheeks shows his frustration.
"I'd give anything to find myself in the perfect place, honestly." Seokjin admits it quietly, glancing back at Namjoon and Jungkook before looking back out the window at the blackness there. "There's nothing in Seoul for me anymore except these two, and I'd never go anywhere without them."
"Obviously." Tink waves away Seokjin's excuse with his hands, gnawing on his bottom lip. "But?"
"But it seems too good to be true, that a place with that much freedom exists without it costing something." Seokjin shrugs, looking back at Tink with a rueful grin. This is hitting too close to home for him right now. "I just want to be happy somewhere, you know?"
The red fades from Tink's cheeks, leaving him grinning unabashedly, nearly vibrating with whatever he's hearing from what Seokjin is saying. He doesn't say anything, just stands there, his wings beating so hard that it's blowing Seokjin's hair back a bit.
"Are you coming back next week?"
Tink nods a quick yes, throws himself at Seokjin to wrap his arms around him in a brief hug before he pulls back and laughs happily, shrinking down and darting out the window before Seokjin can even ask what that was about. He shuts the window and lays down in between the others again, falling into a dreamless sleep.
--
Chapter five: Dream Glow
Tink's doesn't come back that week, or the next, and Seokjin knows he's not the only one worried about him. Namjoon spent the first night propped up against the window, looking out into the darkness until he fell asleep, and Jungkook looked like he was about to cry with every passing week Tink refused to show.
Seokjin read religiously anyways, and he'd swear if someone asked him, that he could feel them being watched, could feel them being weighed by someone or something unknown. He wasn't scared of whatever it was, and if they sensed it too, then neither were the others.
As it was, Seokjin wasn't surprised when he woke up one night to the window open, a shadow that shouldn't be there showing in the light of the television he'd fallen asleep to. Namjoon and Jungkook were in the other room, but Seokjin had stayed out here with his book of stories just in case, and now he was glad he had that foresight.
It takes him a few minutes to find the being responsible for the shadow, and lets himself be momentarily dismayed that he doesn't find Tink.
What he does find is a man close to his own age, flipping a page in the story book and sniffling. He wipes at his eyes with the sleeve of his expensive looking shirt, his bottom lip quivering, and the words fall out of Seokjin's mouth before he can bother trying to stop himself.
"Boy, why are you crying?"
The man is clearly not surprised that Seokjin talked to him, proven by the way he rolls his shoulders in a shrug and beckons Seokjin closer. He does so, hearing Namjoon scold him in his head for approaching a stranger in the apartment that could be a simple burglar.
Somehow, Seokjin is unsurprised when he finds the story that the man was reading is Peter Pan.
"I forgot," The man says almost apologetically, tilting his head back so Seokjin is able to spot a prominent nose, dark eyes currently filled with tears, and a pink lipped smile. "They always want to go back in the end."
"So you're really him, then." Seokjin can't keep the disbelief out of his voice when he asks, blinking down at a confused man. "You're really Peter Pan?"
The man raises a single brow, wiping the latest tear to stream down his cheek. He looks down at the book and back up at Seokjin, tilting his head like a confused puppy.
"I guess I am," Peter fucking Pan says slowly, like he's not sure he should be answering this in the first place. " Or I guess that Peter Pan is me ."
"There's a difference?" Seokjin blurts, sitting down at the table next to the fucking fictional character reading his own story, like some bad meta anime.
"Of course there is. For one thing, my name isn't Peter." Here, he thrusts out his hand towards Seokjin, who takes it partly just to see if he's real or not. "Kim Taehyung."
"Kim Seokjin."
They release hands and peter- Taehyung turns back to the storybook, trailing a hand over the depiction of himself that looks little to nothing like him, and he smiles a sad little grin. Seokjin doesn't know what to say, and he's still not really sure that he's genuinely awake right now. It doesn't feel like a dream, but it very well might be.
"You have a good reading voice, you know." Taehyung admits after flipping through the pages and stopping at a picture with Peter's arm draped around Wendy, holding her close to his body while the lost boys fight Captain Hook and his pirates. "Even if the story was embellished a little."
"Was it?" Seokjin sucks in a breath when Taehyung turns the next page, staring down at some version of himself coming back to find Wendy grown and old, her daughter waiting for him instead. He doesn't want Taehyung looking like that, looking as tired as Seokjin feels half the time. "Which parts?"
Taehyung looks surprised to be asked, but a slow smile crosses his lips, making him look younger than before. "Well, the shadow thing for one. I can't separate it from my body any more than you could."
Seokjin grins, bright and wide, propping his elbows up on the table to rest his chin in his hands as he listens to Taehyung talk.
I don't take anyone who doesn't want to get away , Taehyung tells him at one point, shaking his head as he stares down at the book. I'd never force someone's hand like that. Consent is important.
And later:
I wouldn't keep anyone either, Wendy was proof of that at least.
And when Seokjin asks about his looks:
I usually look how people want to see me, which is why Wendy's Peter looks so different from me, but there's not just one Peter. Here, Taehyung had looked uncertain, biting hard into his bottom lip until all the color was bleached from it. Wendy's Peter retired not too long after he brought her daughter back, and i took over. I remember her a little, it's why I read the book. I missed her when she left.
Something must have shown on Seokjin's face, because Taehyung shrugged and avoided his eyes for a while before changing the subject abruptly.
The flying thing is real though I don't know why I can do it, it's always been that way, since I came to Neverland. Maybe it's just a Peter thing.
They spend hours like that, with Taehyung offering up more and more parts of himself, like he's been starved for someone to talk to before finally relaxing under Seokjin's curious gaze.
I've been outside your window for the last three weeks listening to you read.
Can I call you Hyung, too?
And most importantly:
"Can I come back?" Taehyung asks, making his way towards the window as slowly as possible. Seokjin doesn't blame him, he's not quite ready for the night to be over either, but there's only two hours left until dawn.
"Of course you can. Maybe you can meet Namjoon and Jungkook next time."
Taehyung seems to like that if that way he grins is anything to go by, and it completely transfigures his face. His grin is boxy and childish, leaving Seokjin unable to help but grin back at him. He takes a step closer to Seokjin, who blinks at how close Taehyung is, and watches as Taehyung's face softens.
"I'll see you soon, Hyung." Taehyung says, and to Seokjin, it sounds like a promise.
"I'll see you soon Taehyung-ah." Seokjin whispers, afraid that if he speaks any louder that it'll disturb the otherworldly glow around the two of them. For a moment, Seokjin is tempted to pull Taehyung in a hug, to keep him here a little while longer, but then he steps back from Seokjin, hauls a leg out the window and then the other.
Taehyung grins at Seokjin, raises his hand in a wave, and simply pushes himself off the ledge. Seokjin yelps because of course he does, and when he leans out the window, he can just barely spot a dark shape moving across the smoggy sky, can hear a low chuckle before the wind blows it away.
Fuck , Seokjin thinks to himself, closing the window and collapsing into the couch. His lips pull in a slow grin, and all of a sudden, he feels giddy .
He just met Peter Pan.
--
Chapter six: Flying
Namjoon and Jungkook don't believe him at first, and Seokjin isn't even mad about it. Honestly, if he was in their shoes, he'd probably be just as skeptical as they are, sharing worried looks with each other over the bed mats and shrugging.
Seokjin left the window open and finds himself glad of it when Taehyung himself flies through the window gracefully, slowly lowering himself until his feet are touching the floor. He looks a little unnerved by the gaping looks the others are giving him, but he catches Seokjin's eyes and quick enough that boyish grin coming back.
"Seokjin-Hyung, thanks for leaving the window open." Taehyung ruffles his already windblown hair, grinning sheepishly down at his feet. He glances back up and zeros in on something, stepping closer with his hand outstretched. Taehyung's fingers glide down Seokjin's jaw from his ear to his chin, and he's frowning. "You lost a decent amount of weight in just a week, Hyung. Are you not eating well?"
"We're mostly eating ramen." Namjoon pipes up from next to Jungkook, shrugging when Taehyung turns the frown his way. "It's just easier that way, dude."
"Fresh produce is expensive." Jungkook looks down at his lap and studiously avoids looking at Taehyung, and when the man turns back to Jin, he shrugs.
"They're not wrong." Gently, Seokjin moves Taehyung's hand away from his face, gesturing to the mats with a small smile. "Are you staying for storytime?"
"If-" Taehyung looks back at Namjoon and Jungkook before continuing. "If that's alright with everyone."
Seokjin settles down, grinning when Taehyung sits beside him and pulls the book into his lap. Namjoon and Jungkook shuffle closer, and Jin begins to read through Thumbelina.
Namjoon and Jungkook fall asleep, Seokjin stays awake longer than he should to talk to Taehyung before he leaves.
--
It becomes a new routine.
Weeks pass, and Taehyung keeps coming. It's awkward at first, until Taehyung starts bringing fresh fruits for a late night snack, and then he has both Namjoon and Jungkook in the palm of his hand. The four of them get along well, and then one night, Taehyung comes with company in the form of a little ball of light.
"Tink!" Namjoon grins, yelping when Tink transforms after landing on Namjoon's leg, a full sized Tink now in Namjoon's lap and grinning broadly.
"Who the hell is Tink?" Taehyung scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest and faking chest pains. "How come none of you greet me like that?"
"We see you every week, we haven't seen Tink in almost two months," Jungkook grins, reaching over to clasp Tink's shoulder and give a small squeeze.
"Not fair, Jimin always gets the attention." Taehyung whines, his pout morphing into something real. Seokjin quirks a brow and shakes his head, offering a smile to the man still in a stunned Namjoon's lap.
"Jimin? We missed you."
Jimin coos, a soft tinkling noise, and the tips of his wings tint with pink. He crinkles his nose and grins softly at Seokjin. "I missed you too, Hyungie."
"Are you here to read?" Jungkook pipes up, his arms wrapped around the storybook, with a small grin on his face.
"Actually," Taehyung begins slowly, fidgeting and sharing a significant look with Jimin, who gestures for him to get on with things. "We were wondering if maybe you'd be interested in coming to our place."
"He means that we'd like it if you three came home with us to Neverland." Jimin pipes up, slipping off of Namjoon's lap with an uncertain smile. He looks from Seokjin to Jungkook, before turning to Namjoon. "Of course, you don't have to."
Namjoon's face is clear when he looks from Jungkook and then to Seokjin, his answer clear on his face. I'm in if you guys are.
Jungkook is so excited that he can barely sit still, his eyes wide and sparkling while he looks back and forth between Namjoon and Seokjin like he's watching a tennis match. Please, I want to go.
Seokjin keeps his face impassive by only sheer force of will, and thinks for a moment. If he goes to Neverland, there's a very big chance that he won't ever want to leave, and he knows the same can be said for the other two. They'd have nothing to come back to , no family to care if they lived or died, not enough money to worry about. Hell, even the apartment could be rented out quicker than anything. There's nothing tying them here.
So why stay?
He'd expected to be scared when Taehyung asked, and the thing is, Seokjin knew he'd ask someday by how much he'd talked about it since the day they met. Seokjin isn't scared though, is the thing.
He's excited.
"Can we take the time to pack?" Seokjin asks, leaning back against the couch with ease, his mind settling now that he's made his choice. This is it, the end of Seoul, of the apartment.
Seokjin can't wait.
It's finally time to have an adventure.
--
He doesn't pack much, because if he's honest with himself, there's not anything he's attached to besides his books and his friends. Seokjin carefully packs a few thick books with him: Aesop's Fables, Grimm's Fairytales, and the Storybook he's been reading from already. He heads back to the sitting room, dragging his fingertips along the wall, looking around at this dingy old apartment with a smile on his face.
"Are you alright, Hyung?"
Taehyung's voice drags him from his memories of the hope they'd all had when they'd first moved in here, and Seokjin nods. It's relieving to sit next to Taehyung on the old couch. Seokjin is ready to leave, but it doesn't mean that he isn't a bit scared.
"How are we getting to Neverland, Taehyung-ah?" Seokjin asks, cowed under the soft look that Taehyung is sending his way. Taehyung shakes his head a little bit and gestures at Seokjin's bag.
"Didn't you read the story, Hyung?" Taehyung wonders, leaning into Seokjin's space, an oddly serious look on his face. "Third star to the left, straight on until morning."
"I'm afraid of heights," Seokjin admits with a grin, shrugging when Taehyung barks a laugh and shakes his head. Suddenly, there's warmth on his hand, Taehyung's hands practically engulfing his own. He looks more serious than Seokjin has seen since the night they met.
"I won't let you fall, I promise." Taehyung ducks his head to meet Seokjin's eyes, and all Seokjin can do is blink at the man in front of him.
This is why the books were written, why the movies were made. This person in front of him is why Peter Pan is so popular, why nearly every child grows up knowing of who he is.
"I trust you." Seokjin blurts out unprompted, blinking rapidly at a startled Taehyung. He hadn't exactly meant to say that, but he did mean it after all. Before Taehyung can respond, Jimin comes out of the hallway with Namjoon and Jungkook in tow, a grin on his face.
"We're ready."
--
Taehyung leads them from the apartment building, and they walk down the sidewalk leisurely, quietly, as it's closer to one in the morning now. The streets are usually so busy, but Seokjin is surprised to see that there's no one on the road, and wonders if that's Taehyung's doing or just good luck.
Jimin keeps dancing on ahead, his wings fluttering rapidly, glowing brighter than Seokjin has seen from him yet, though he's grateful for the glow when they duck into an alleyway with no lights. Jimin's wings illuminate the way, and soon he's dropping the stairs of a fire escape for them to follow.
Your window is too small for all of us to fit out of , Taehyung had grimaced, but then he'd rolled his shoulders and grinned widely. Luckily, I know a place.
And now they were here.
Here, was the top of an apartment building in much better shape than Seokjin's had been, with a rooftop access. There was a group of planter beds off to the side that Jimin flew over to, sprinkling something on the small buds, humming softly. Seokjin made himself walk over to the edge of the rooftop, looking out at all the lights casting Seoul in an almost dreary glow. If things went well, if they all got along wherever they went, then maybe he'd never see this city again.
What a bittersweet feeling.
Seokjin rubs the palm of his hand against the faint ache in his chest, and offers the city one last look and a wavering smile bordering on a grimace. He can't stay here, and neither could Namjoon or Jungkook.
The city would devour them if they stayed.
Mind made up, Jin turns and finds Taehyung staring across the rooftop, watching him. Taehyung dips his head, and Seokjin grins back at him. He's terrified, Seokjin is able to acknowledge that, but underneath that fear, he's excited.
The group seems to know something's about to change; the conversation that Namjoon and Jungkook had been having fades until the only sound around are the sounds of the city. Taehyung pulls himself up to full height and holds his hand out towards Seokjin, who hurries over and takes his hand, holding his other hand out and grinning when Jungkook takes it. Namjoon holds his other hand and Jimin's, and when the chain is done, Jimin glows nearly as bright as he did as a little fairy, and Taehyung's smile is all teeth.
"Deep breath." Taehyung's voice is serious, nothing like the playful lilt he's had since they've met, but Seokjin isn't worried. Jungkook is vibrating with excited nerves, Namjoon can't stop grinning, and Seokjin already feels lighter than he has in ages because-
He's floating.
" What the fuck." Seokjin whispers, audible enough for Jimin to toss his head back and laugh, for Jungkook to squeeze his hand harder, and Namjoon to quietly agree.
They just keep getting higher and higher, until the rooftop looks like a pixel on their old television screen, and suddenly this isn't as much fun anymore. Seokjin's scared , practically vibrating with it. He's not sure, but he's certain that he's suddenly whimpering, and he can't keep his eyes off of the rooftop that he can't even make out anymore because they're so high and what's to stop him if he falls besides the fucking ground? This was an awful idea, the worst one he's had, he can't stop gulping for air which is stupid because they're in the air.
Seokjin laughs, the sound a little hysterical, feeling wetness on his face and wonders when it started to rain.
Jin hears his name being repeated, feels Jungkook clutch to his hand like a lifeline, but he can't stop looking and now all of Seoul is just lights , just insignificant usage of electricity and-
Darkness.
There's a warm hand over his eyes, a nose buried in the rumpled hair of his left temple and lips whispering kind things in his ear. It takes him longer than it should to realize that his companions are silent, that Jungkook is really close to actually hurting him with how hard he's holding on, which is good considering Seokjin must have let go of his hand at some point because he's not holding onto Jungkook.
That's what has him gasping, breathing in deep lungfuls of air, his hand clutching Jungkook just as hard. He let go when they're so high up, how could he do that? How could he just let go of one of his oldest friends, one of the most precious people in his life?
"Sorry." Seokjin eventually chokes out, and now they're apparently so high that the smog chokes him yet again. "Sorry, Jungkook-ah."
Instead of responding, Jungkook just butts his head against Seokjin's shoulder like a cat, and the gesture is appreciated. Apology accepted it says, and would have Seokjin sagging with relief if his body wasn't still halfway ready for death.
Taehyung has stopped talking but is still covering Seokjin's eyes, and he can feel Taehyung holding onto him, can feel these little huffs of breath in his hair. Seokjin wants to thank him, wants to cling to him and tell him that he wants to touch land again, that he doesn't want to do this anymore, but he doesn't speak.
Instead, Taehyung nuzzles into the side of Seokjin's head much like Jungkook had, and they put on a burst of speed to the thrill of Jungkook and Namjoon, who are screaming their delight. He can hear Jimin's delighted laughter over the air rushing in his ears, and feels weightless for the first time this entire trip.
Something shifts in the air around them between one breath and another. Seoul had tasted grimy, something metallic and disgusting under his tongue, but there's a hot flash of air, something fresh and clean, and Jungkook makes a broken little noise, Namjoon gasps like he can't believe what's happening, and Taehyung takes his hand off of Seokjin's eyes.
"I'm not going to let you fall, I told you that." Taehyung mumbles low enough for Seokjin to hear, and he blushes even as scared as he is. "We're here, you're home now. Open your eyes, Hyung."
Seokjin is sure he hasn't been this scared before in his life, but he takes a breath and opens his eyes. The whole trip, he'd been expecting something like he'd seen in the movies, something fantastical and enchanted, where young people run around and fly, and there are no adults.
He was partially right.
Neverland is heavily wooded in most areas, but there are flat regions too, with what looks an awful lot like a clothing store somewhere off to the right of a small village. There's more people than he thought there would be as well, young and old, all flying and all chattering happily. Some of the children spot them coming in and cheer happily, dropping what they're doing to wave their hands around excitedly. There are animals, and a boat port with a few really old fashioned boats with a fabric sail and cannons and everything.
Most importantly, there's nothing mechanical, no machinery or anything.
Seokjin had worried that the lack of anything from their city would make him feel out of place or unsafe. Taehyung had told them that their phones wouldn't work in Neverland already, that most anything electronic had no place there. They'd given up everything willingly, even Jungkook, who was never far away from his phone. It's so much to take in that Seokjin doesn't even register the dip in his stomach to alert him to a descent, he just keeps looking around until he has no option but to land.
The moment his feet his the ground, Seokjin's legs threaten to give out, and no amount of locking his knees is helpful. He's not the only one however, and he, Namjoon and Jungkook all collapse in a heap in the dirt. They lay there, laughing breathlessly as Taehyung and Jimin watch, both of them grinning.
It takes Seokjin longer than he'd like to admit for him to feel stable enough to stand up again, but Jimin grabs his hand and pulls him up, clapping a hand against his back before rushing to help Namjoon up as well. Jungkook is already up getting restless, wandering around, waving at people who pass them by and shake their heads knowingly at Taehyung.
Taehyung, for the most part, just stands there looking both proud and sheepish.
"Why are people looking at you like that?" Namjoon asks, thoroughly breaking the silence. He and Jimin are still loosely holding hands, not for the first time, Seokjin recalls, and grins.
"It's been a while since I've brought anyone home." Taehyung admits with a scuff of his shoes on the pathway. He looks younger like this, and a little worried judging by the looks he's giving them.
"How long has it been?" Jungkook asks, bowing politely to an older woman who coos as she walks by, breaking out of what looks to be her husband's grip to pat Jungkook on the head.
"About fifty years." Taehyung mumbles, flinching when Jimin releases Namjoon to swat at Taehyung's arm. "Give or take ten years."
Namjoon splutters, stumbling back a few steps until his back connects with a tree while he stares in disbelief at Taehyung. "How old are you?"
"Twenty five." Taehyung answers the question easily, crossing his arms over his chest and grinning at Namjoon.
"And how long have you been twenty five?" Namjoon shoots back, mimicking Taehyung's stance and crossing his own arms over his chest.
"Probably long enough to know a shitty twilight reference." Seokjin rolls his eyes, stepping over to Namjoon and pushing him playfully. He stumbles a step, frowning at Seokjin before the tension leaves his body and he sighs.
"Sorry, Taehyung-ah. I'm just really tired." It's a shitty excuse and Namjoon knows it. Taehyung probably does too, but he takes it at face value and shrugs it off.
"Let's get you guys home, then." Taehyung offers, gesturing for them to follow while he turns and heads down the pathway to the right.
--
Chapter seven: Home
Taehyung brings them through the woods and into a clearing that steals Seokjin's breath away. He remembers having a dream months back of a cottage that looked exactly like this, right down to the tiger lilies leading up to the dark green door. He's hit with deja Vu so strong that Seokjin barely registers Jimin shrinking down in his excitement, fluttering from Seokjin to the door, leaving a trail of dust as he flies.
"Welcome to your own personal escape," Taehyung mumbles lowly, and Seokjin is sure that it's meant for all of them, but it feels like it's just for him. "I hope you'll be happy here."
Seokjin gulps and steps closer to the door, unsure as to why he's so nervous, but he is . His hand closes over the doorknob and he pushes it open to a hallway, and he barely notices Namjoon and Jungkook shouldering past him to follow a still small Jimin up the stairs. He's much too busy trailing his fingertips over the walls, taking his time.
Stepping into the next room reveals a living room large enough to host parties, a massive brown L shaped couch against one wall, a lovely glass table in the middle of the carpet, with a vase of flowers on it. There's other things he's probably missing, but he moves to the next room and sucks in a breath.
The kitchen is large enough for Seokjin and Namjoon to work together and never come into contact with each other. There's a sturdy table off to the side big enough to seat ten, and he's sure that if he inspected all the cupboards that he'd find everything he could ever want here.
"Would you like to see your room?" Taehyung asks from behind Seokjin, startling him into flailing. He'd forgotten that Taehyung had followed him inside.
"Sure," Seokjin breathes, a hand over his chest in hopes the pressure will help his heart to stop trying to pound right out of his chest.
Taehyung grins, completely unoffended, and reaches out to grab Seokjin's hand, effectively pulling him towards the stairs that the others went up mere minutes ago. Seokjin is reminded of the flight here and his stomach drops, but Taehyung seems to see something on Seokjin's face that gives him away, because he begins to rub Seokjin's knuckles with a reassuring smile on his lips.
Seokjin snorts the minute the reach the upstairs hallway, trying to keep himself from laughing and utterly failing. It's remarkably easy to know which doors belong to whose room. Jungkook's door is immediately to the right, a deep red with a little golden knob that has Jin shaking his head fondly for his friends taste in superhero films.
Namjoon's door is a few steps down on the left, and at first glance it seems purely white, but when you step closer, golden calligraphy appears, music that Namjoon had written years ago back when he moved to Seoul to pursue a passion that never picked up.
Seokjin's door is right at the end of the hall, a rose gold color, and when Taehyung opens the door, Seokjin has to choke down emotions he didn't know he'd feel at it.
The bed itself is massive , big enough to fit at leave five grown men on it, and it's a canopy bed. The sheer curtains are a lovely dusty pink, rolled up so Seokjin can see the bedspread of the night sky, which looks like someone took the stars out of space and put them right onto his blanket. There's a window in the corner of the room with a telescope ready for stargazing, and walls upon walls of books.
Walking forward, Seokjin is sure that his emotions are all over his face, but he's having trouble choking down just how much this house already feels like home. He can faintly hear Namjoon laughing with Jimin down the hall, hears Jungkook rustling around opening and shutting drawers in his own room, and it's perfect.
When he turns, Taehyung is lingering in the doorway, focused entirely on Seokjin, and in that moment, Seokjin makes a decision. He walks towards Taehyung with a purpose, struggling not to smile when Taehyung takes a step into the room. They crash together almost violently, Seokjin wrapping his arms around Taehyung's shoulders, and Taehyung pulling Seokjin close by his waist.
"Thank you." Seokjin whispers, burying his face into the warmth of Taehyung's neck. He smells spicy here, a little earthy, a little like cinnamon, and Seokjin's mouth waters even as he ignores it. "Thank you so much."
Taehyung hums but doesn't speak, simply clings to Seokjin as much as he can, and they linger there together much longer than they most likely should, seeking comfort in each other.
--
Taehyung had disappeared a while ago, leaving Seokjin alone to get acquainted with his new room. He'd already put his books away, and was currently just draped over his bed, wondering at how he barely even took up a fourth of the space. This whole house was a fairytale from start to finish and Seokjin is still a little in disbelief. These kinds of things don't just happen to him, not without the person wanting something .
Seokjin shudders, rubbing at his chest with a frown on his lips. He's a little scared at the potential, if he's honest with himself, even if he doesn't think that Taehyung is the kind of person to hang a strings attached situation over their heads.
A rapid knock at his door is the only warning Seokjin gets before Namjoon and Jungkook burst through his door and start rambling about how nice his room is, and before long, all three of them are on Seokjin's bed. Jungkook had unfolded the canopy's curtains, blocking the rest of the room out with a rosy sheen.
It isn't long before a ball of light strays into the room and through the curtains, and suddenly there's Jimin on the bed next to Namjoon, grinning widely and looking at all three of them fondly.
"How do you like the house?" Jimin looks curious, his eyes glittering with something that seems hopeful. Seokjin has the sudden urge to reassure Jimin that everything is fine, but Namjoon beats him to it.
"It's great." He says, even if he doesn't exactly look happy about admitting it, which has Seokjin wondering what's going on inside Namjoon's head. Jin's even more surprised to see Jungkook looking somber before Namjoon speaks again. "There's nothing we can pay you for this, though."
"Pay?" At this, Jimin seems a little confused, tilting his head off to the side, looking between all three of them. "We didn't bring you here to put you in more debt, you know. This house, this little area is your Neverland."
"What does that mean?" Jungkook curls himself up around Seokjin a little tighter than he had before, and stares at Jimin, uncertain.
"When we have people that decide to come here and stay indefinitely, like you three, we designate a little piece of Neverland as theirs." Jimin shrugs a little, but he looks a bit nervous, his eyes darting between all three of them. "When Taehyung-ah heard you were looking for a place to get away to, he decided to make you a home."
"Why?"
Seokjin hadn't meant to ask, had tried to avoid this moment since they arrived, since they met such unbelievable people like Taehyung and Jimin. It didn't make sense that they, out of everyone in the world, deserved this.
"Because," A low voice began from the doorway, Taehyung's voice deadly serious as he walked into the room. He looked almost confrontational, his dark hair falling over his eyes, his arms crossed over his chest. Still, he walked to Seokjin's side of the bed, pushed aside the curtain and crouches beside it. "You were scared, desperate, and hated the potential of leaving your friends behind if you left. I could hear you, all the way from Neverland, I could hear all of you and that has never happened before, to any Peter."
"Any Peter?" Namjoon asks, which is nice because Seokjin isn't so sure that he'd be able to speak just yet.
"I'm Neverland's fifth 'Peter'," Taehyung admits slowly, tossing his head so the three of them could look into his eyes. He grinned, a slow drag of lips, and braced himself on the side of the bed, his eyes glittering with excitement. "And you're the last of my Lost Boys."
Taehyung had looked at all of them when he'd spoken, but his eyes had lingered on Seokjin. Jimin quietly tugged Namjoon and Jungkook from the bed with whispered reassurances, leading them from the room. Taehyung didn't seem to notice that they left, or he didn't care, because he still hadn't taken his eyes off of Seokjin.
"I don't think I understand." Seokjin admits slowly, scooting away from the edge and patting the bed so Taehyung could crawl onto it if he wanted. He does, sitting perched on the edge of the bed, and seemingly softens, that seriousness fading into something inherently Taehyung. "What do you mean that you heard us?"
"I heard you , mostly." Taehyung kicks off his shoes, pulling his legs up onto the bed and leaning back against one of the pillows. "You sat at that window for months and begged to be taken away."
Seokjin sucks in a breath, vividly recalling a night six months past that had ended with Namjoon and Jungkook out of the apartment for something unimportant, and remembers leaning his head against the cool glass of the window and sobbing, practically tugging his hair out with his frustration. He'd sat there for hours, head in his hands, rocking where he'd sat and wished for that someone would come and take him away from that place. He remembers how guilty he'd felt afterwards, and how he changed his begging to include Namjoon and Jungkook too.
"Don't misunderstand," Taehyung continues softly, shaking his head with the shadow of a smile. "I heard your friends too, very faintly until I got to know them, but you Hyung? You've been screaming for someone to save you for close to the last year. I'm sorry it took so long to find you."
Seokjin swallows around a sudden lump in his throat, shuddering against the stinging in his eyes and the sudden realization that someone had heard him after all in the midst of his own personal suffering. Taehyung shuffles closer, resting his shoulder against Seokjin's before continuing to speak much softer than he had earlier.
"I've had this house ready for you for the last eight months. I wasn't sure you'd agree to giving up your life in Seoul, no matter how much you hated it, but you know what, Hyung?"
Seokjin shakes his head, tears pooling in his eyes, spilling down his cheeks before Taehyung turns to look at him fully, reaching out and resting a large hand against Seokjin's wet cheek.
"I wished for you, too."
Something shifts inside of Seokjin, that desperate need to feel wanted, to feel needed, it morphs into something inexplicably deeper until all he can feel is the side of his face that Taehyung is still touching feather soft, like if he touched Seokjin more then he'd break. There's the faintest pull of something in his chest right around where he's been rubbing for the last few weeks that expands until all he can see, all he can feel is Taehyung.
It's life altering and it's not; Seokjin has the feeling that somehow, he was made for this, whatever it is that this turns out to be.
"I can't believe it," Taehyung's voice has an edge of disbelief to it now, along with the faint lilt of reverence, his eyes wide and unsure even though Seokjin can practically feel his happiness. "I can't believe I found you. My Lost Boy. My Seokjin-Hyung."
"Taehyung-ah." Seokjin gasps, can't see anything, can't breathe anything, can't feel anything besides Taehyung. "Tae. Taehyung-ah. "
There's a startled yelp of surprise from downstairs that tries to pull Seokjin out of whatever oddity this haze is, but Taehyung cups the other side of his face and now they're both crying. Seokjin refocuses on the feeling of Taehyung's hands on his skin, of workworn callouses, and the odd softness of his palms, the gentle way he touches Seokjin. He almost doesn't notice when Taehyung begins to speak again, struggles to pay attention.
"You're going to be exhausted," Taehyung whispers, nearly too low for Seokjin to catch the words. "And you're going to start feeling the urge to find people, to find the other lost boys. They'll all be here in Neverland, so don't worry about that. We're family, destined to meet, destined to be together forever, can you feel it?"
The tug towards Taehyung swells with something akin to affection, but when Seokjin focuses on that pull, he can feel three other gentler tugs attempting to lead him downstairs where Seokjin is sure he'd find Jimin, Namjoon and Jungkook.
"Can a fairy be a lost boy?" Seokjin slurs, the weight of the day, the relief from the lack of desperation leaving him utterly wracked with exhaustion and sagging back into the pillows. "The three downstairs are mine."
When he focuses again, there's two other fainter tugs, like it's a suggestion that he could ignore, but how could he when he knows now that there's a reason he's here?
"Two others somewhere out there. No one else." Seokjin sighs when Taehyung releases him, snuggling into the softness of the pillows, nuzzling his cheek against one. He hums when Taehyung tugs a warm blanket up over Seokjin's body and surprisingly doesn't startle when he feels someone crawl into bed on the other side. The tugging feeling in his chest dissipates into something more stable, and Seokjin grins into the pillow when he hears the three separate gasps behind him.
Somehow, he's unsurprised when Taehyung slips under the blankets with him and the others, or when he curls around Seokjin protectively, like he could shield him from the pain he's yet to feel in this place.
There are four sets of hands touching Seokjin somewhere, reassuring instead of stifling, and he finds himself slipping into the deepest and most rejuvenating sleep that Seokjin has had in his entire life.