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Jungkook fell in love with the water fountain at the age of three. He couldn't recall the exact time or day but he could still feel the sun on his skin, warm, calming, sparkling in the splashing water in front of him. As summer approached, the fountain in the middle of town turned into a common playground for toddlers whose steps were unsteady, not sure enough yet to follow the call of the sea waiting for them at the edge of town as they were playing in the fountain's shallow water, days growing longer, them getting older.
Small children of various ages were playing in the fountain, laughter and a warm breeze filling the air, and a taste of salt coming from the sea, promising summer and heat, a soft melody woven into the breath of wind, gentle voice belonging to a small boy playing in the water opposite from him, partly hidden behind the three jets of water supplying the kids with more and more of the cool plaything, drowning out the boy's singing in waves.
Jungkook craned his neck, eyes following tiny toes dipping into the shallow water, drawing smiles into the gloomy surface that reached him in waves, sunshine getting caught in the ripples, the boy dipping his whole foot into the cool now, moving it slowly, cautiously, watching the liquid follow his lead, waves growing bigger as the boy waded through the littlest sea, taking a few steps, stretching his foot, tip of his toe dipping in once more, drawing a circle onto the smooth surface as he turned on his heel, watching the water build, waves embracing him as he got down on his knees, pants soaking with water but the boy didn't mind, eyes sparkling as he stared at the surface, watching it calm down a little before drowning his fingers, hands turning up and down, left and right, building beautiful waves, sunlight trapped inside, soft giggles following the ripples as they hit the edge of the fountain where Jungkook was still standing, head tilted to the side and eyes set on the only boy moving the water with purpose as if he was talking to it, a meaningful conversation translated into waves and sparkles, no word said, just moving as he spoke to the water fountain.
It had to be a good talk as the small boy was smiling toward the jet splashing water above his head, light sprinkles kissing his skin, eyes crescent and blinding his vision.
He wanted to walk over to the small boy, asking him what he was doing, not understanding why the boy was drawing into the water when the picture would be gone in the next second, yet to find the purpose in these actions, yet to get the courage to move and ask, the small boy rising to his feet, taking quick steps out of the water, laughing at the ripples he caused, stumbling over his feet and words as he excitedly moved his hands in front of a smiling woman who was taking the boy's hand, leading him away from the fountain.
Jungkook watched them leave, eyes set on a tiny hand moving in the air and he would swear that he'd seen waves of sunshine build around those short fingers, stunned into staring until his own hand was engulfed by a bigger one, turning him into the opposite direction, Jungkook craning his neck to keep his eyes on the small boy growing even tinier in the distance, getting lost, until Jungkook found him again at the edge of the water.
The beach appeared abandoned at this time of year, the water not tempting anymore when summer was over, the sun having left for some other place, sand and moon left behind, and only Jungkook risking a cold to keep them company. Or so he had thought before stumbling over a pair of black shoes that had been discarded and left in the sand only a few steps from the water.
As he rose back to his feet, his eyes scanned the beach, following shadowy footprints to where dim moonlight was kissing the sea, waves teasing the sand, coming and going, back and forth, a figure kneeling at the edge, waves kissing bare ankles as hands waited patiently for the water to return, finger drawing a smile into the sand, gloomy water taking it, turning silver in the full moon suddenly discarded of its cloudy shade, illuminating the waves and the boy being kissed by the water, breath of wind taking the soft giggles to where Jungkook was still standing and staring, captivated by the other boy rising to his feet, extending an arm as the wind tore at the shirt hanging loosely around his upper body, wind and boy turning whenever the waves kissed the sand, erasing the small movements drawn into the edge of the beach, where sand and water collided, the small boy who'd grown taller in ten years of searching, still small, delicate even, floating, turning, tumbling and falling, embraced by the water, rising to his feet, following the edge where waves kissed the beach, chasing the ripples on bare feet, sand splashing high until he was flying.
Time stopped as Jungkook watched him float through the air, landing on his feet, upright for a second before collapsing into the sand, lying there, limbs moving as he stared up at the full moon watching him, an angel drawing itself into the sand as the waves kissed his feet.
Jungkook remembered the day at the water fountain, felt the sun warming his skin, soft giggles and a melody reaching his ear, part of a memory that had never been lost, not once fading, questions coming to mind but trapped in his throat, feet following the sand until it collided with a street, asphalt, no waves, the sidewalk taking him home, eyes lingering on the edge of the water where a boy was dancing to the sound of the waves, illuminated by thirteen full moons yet to come, Jungkook being right there, drawn to the elegant movements. He was enchanted, watching the dancer from a safe distance, not searching for the small boy anymore, instead, looking for the courage to follow shadowy footprints down to the edge of the beach, where sand and water collided, waves kissing bare ankles of a delicate boy dancing with the waves, returning every full moon until one night when only the dim moonlight was left dancing on the waves.
Jungkook had missed his chance once more, questions whirling in his mind, asking for the name of the moonlit dancer with crescent eyes, being answered almost ten years later on his way to work by a silent poster giving him a name, date, and time.
He was wearing his fanciest clothes, the ticket he'd bought in advance tucked safely into the leather of his wallet, having checked three times already during his wait for the theatre's doors to open. Time was ticking slower than he was used to, his heartbeat accelerating with every second, only reason being the performance he was about to watch, finding his seat in a blur of emotions, eyes set on the stage, lights dimming and a small figure coming in sight, kneeling in the middle of the stage, waiting as the soft melody set in, small ripples of sound, stage beginning to sparkle under a thin layer of water.
The audience gasped at every splash, steps steady, movements delicate and smooth, water following the lead of the dancer, obedient, listening, time slowing as he flew across the stage, floating with the waves of an invisible sea, moonlight trapped in the gems cascading down his chest, body moving like water, flowing, fluid coming to a halt, figure falling into a deep bow as the applause kissed him like the waves had at the edge of the beach, where sand and water collided, illuminated by a full moon dancing on the waves for ten lonely years.
Jungkook was standing outside the theatre, still in awe of the performance he'd just seen, the beauty he'd witnessed, remembering the moonlight and the sea, breath of wind carrying soft giggles, feeling the sun warming him and the shallow water of a fountain, high-pitched voice of a small boy communicating with the cool, drawing smiles into the unsteady canvas.
His memory of crescents and a rippling laugh was disturbed by a body colliding with him, bag falling to the ground, knees bending, tips of black shoes coming in sight as a small gloved hand reached for the bag Jungkook was already lifting. He looked up at the owner of the small hand, vision being blinded by crescents.
"I'm sorry," the other apologized, a smile grazing his plump lips, small hand hidden behind green gloves that were matching his scarf and woolen cap. There was moonlight sparkling in his eyes despite a new moon being born tonight. Jungkook was enchanted, following like the water as the other rose to his feet, mind slowly processing a thought despite the distracting smile directed at him.
"Beautiful," he blurted out, making the other blush and laugh, small gloved hand reaching up to hide a blooming smile, eyes shining at him anyway. "You– I mean, your performance, uhm, beautiful, it– you were beautiful. On stage."
"Thank you," the other answered, biting his lip to conceal the smile blooming on his lips, looking at the ground as his cheeks deepened in color, adding in a small voice, "I'm Park Jimin."
"Yeah," Jungkook blurted out in agreement, hand waving toward the poster on the theater's wall to explain himself with the words written on it in big letters. His action tinted his cheeks, drawing another rippling laugh from the dancer.
"What's your name?" Jimin asked, eyes shining as he looked up again, meeting his stare, sweet smile adorning his lips, Jungkook losing focus at the sight of it.
"Jung– kook," he answered in a daze, mind dizzy from the intriguing smile lingering on top of plush lips, half-crescents directed at him, stars waiting inside to form galaxies. He gulped, repeating, "Jeon Jungkook."
"Did you like the performance, Jungkook-ssi?" Jimin asked with something akin to hope glistening in his eyes, acting as if Jungkook hadn't already blurted out an answer to the question being raised now. He simply nodded, relishing the sound of his name coming from the other man, voice as soft and gentle as the memory. "I'm glad you liked it. Did you watch it for the first time?"
Jungkook's head moved without thinking, mind dizzy as he nodded, then shook his head, before nodding again. His action drew soft giggles from Jimin whose eyes sparkled some more, catching moonlight that was part of a memory, the dancer waiting for him to explain his action, only met with silence.
"My bag?" Jimin asked, extending his hand toward Jungkook who had a firm grip on the brown bag, needing a second longer to react and hand it over, their fingers brushing, causing him to stare some more at the shy smile stretching the dancer's lips now.
Jimin waited for him to say something. He could read it in the other's face, wide eyes staring at him, sparkling in the night, delicate movement of his head encouraging Jungkook soundlessly to speak but the thoughts were trapped in his mind, screaming on top of their voices, no sound filling the air between them, night growing colder as the dancer's shy smile slowly faded, stars falling out of his eyes.
"Thank you," Jimin said in a small voice, staring at the ground for a minute, waiting yet again. No words, not a sound coming from Jungkook, so Jimin added with a small smile that didn't reach his eyes, "I should go home then. It was nice meeting you, Jeon Jungkook-ssi."
"Yeah," Jungkook breathed, soundless, swallowing the lump in his throat, trying to process more words, not wanting the other to walk away, having waited two decades for this moment, so many questions in his past, none reaching his present mind.
"Maybe we'll meet once more?" Jimin said, words sounding like a question, eyes wide as they stared at Jungkook, waiting for a reaction. Jungkook blushed at the words, nodding slowly, begging his lips to form some words to go along with his nod. As none came, Jimin waved, turned around with a last friendly yet disappointed smile, walking, distance growing between them.
Jungkook watched him take five steps, three more until it were ten, twenty, his own feet starting to move, taking long strides, slowing down as he fell in step with the dancer who looked at him in surprise, smile reaching his eyes when Jungkook said while nodding ahead of them, "My apartment, uhm, it's that way."
"Let's walk together?" Jimin suggested, sounding hopeful, his smile growing when Jungkook nodded. They walked like that for a while, following the street, neither of them really looking for the crossroad they had to turn at to reach their respective apartments, simply walking next to each other, hands brushing twice, cheeks blushing, Jimin once in a while breaking the calm silence, getting to know the younger while sharing small details of himself, Jungkook slowly warming up to him despite the cold temperatures. "So you grew up in town as well?"
"My parents have a house closer to the beach."
"Yeah?" Jimin asked, eyes sparkling with something akin to mischief although that wouldn't fit an angel like him. Jungkook watched the elder's eyes shine some more as Jimin added, "I used to go there every full moon to dance."
Jungkook nearly agreed, only stopped by a familiar figure coming in sight. He halted as his eyes set on the fountain, colors woven into the jets of water, illuminating the dark night. It appeared magical, tinting them into a soft shimmer broken and multiplied by the water, Jimin turning into a fairy as he knelt down next to it, bare fingers dipping into the surface, drawing a smile into the water that got lost in the waves.
There was a collection of rings adorning the dancer's short fingers and Jungkook wondered if one of them belonged to someone else. He wanted to ask but Jimin was first to speak, "I saw you, Jungkook, watching me dance during the fall before I went to study in Seoul."
Jungkook felt frozen at the other's words, even more, when Jimin rose to his feet and reached for his hand, smiling at him with shining crescents, bag falling to the ground as Jimin took a step into the water.
"Dance with me," Jimin whispered, pulling him into the fountain, not caring for the jets of water going to soak them wet, cold temperatures forgotten as the water was warm, Jimin's smile even warmer, and Jungkook's hand feeling hot in the dancer's hold.
He didn't resist the gentle pull, following Jimin into the deep, the dancer maneuvering them through the jets, the pair drowning in hues of purple and blue as they started to sway to the sound of the water, Jimin leading them, humming under his breath, throwing his cap away when it was soaked wet, giggling as Jungkook laughed at him, strands of light blonde stuck to the elder's forehead, tangling with his lashes as he stared up at Jungkook, hands wrapped around the younger's neck, body flush against his to stay warm. Jungkook reached up to push the strands of light aside, the dancer blushing cutely at the touch.
"Jimin-ssi?"
"Yeah, Jungkook-ssi?"
"You didn't run into me by chance, did you?" Jungkook asked, voice trembling in the cold, feeling warm all over, hopeful, lights of the water fountain where they'd first encountered years ago shining in the elder's eyes as Jimin rose to his tiptoes, plush lips meeting Jungkook's in a kiss tasting like twenty years of longing and the salty sea.