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the cabin is inhabited by jungkook alone, secluded and peaceful. the surroundings is always quiet, except for when a couple cross bills have their daily morning meetings atop the canopy of trees. a bigger mammal may visit him time to time, but none of them mean any harm. jungkook respects their living space, and respect is what he is returned.
behind the cabin lay a pile of everything gold, for they shine the brightest in this forest. perhaps they were what attracted the animals in the first place. the discarded pile remains jungkook’s regrets and mistakes, and his hatred for the curse in his own hands.
jungkook is one with the forest. he’s been living in the embrace of the trunks ever since he could walk. his guardians had realized he was a cursed child and decided to separate him from society, in case he chose to become psychotic and abuse the powers when he grew up. even though he never really had a say, jungkook didn't mind it all that much. it’s not that he never tried to escape the forest, but everything was just... slower here. the forest is safe, not afraid of his powers because it didn't understand the extent of it.
the world doesn't know much about him or his curse; the legend of the midas touch lost to generations and downgraded to myth, but the curse is very much real, and jungkook's belongings coated in gold is the evidence of that.
but right now, standing in the distance, jungkook sees - there's someone in the forest. someone else is glowing gold.
there's someone gold in the forest and they are coming closer.
were they also attracted to the gold? it wouldn't be the first time a human has stepped close; poor souls that get lost in this maze of trees. jungkook pulls out his bow. hunters were not uncommon in here, and he wants them all gone. taking one of the arrows on the floor, he steadies his aim.
something catches his eye, something that was reflecting light in the same way his golden clothing did. it wasn't what he expected at all when a boy stepped out from the clearing of leaves.
"hey- hey- please put that down... i don't have anything i swear." that glow revealed itself to be the crown of someone's hair. his hair color wasn't anything jungkook had seen on anyone; a gorgeous gold that stood out in the dark forest.
jungkook puts down his bow. "what... are you doing here?"
the boy relaxes, then puts a finger to his face to ponder. "hmm… i'm lost!" he, of all things, grins. for some reason, his grin made him glow even brighter.
"lo-lost?"
"yeah..." he scratches his head. "my name’s taehyung. you?"
"i… i'm not comfortable with giving my name."
"hm? that's fine." seeing him smile made jungkook want to smile too. is it always this contagious? "what do i call you though?"
"me…? why would you…?" why would you ever need to address me?
as if reading his mind, he responds, "ah, i guess i haven't explained myself... so you see- uh-" his adam apple visibly bobs when he swallowed. jungkook just stood there holding his bow nervously. neither of them say anything, watching the boy- taehyung?- kicking the ground accompanied by a frown on his face.
it seemed that taehyung either had a hard time explaining himself or was just plainly embarrassed. jungkook decides to be a little easier on him and puts his bow down. noticing that taehyung wasn’t following him back to the cabin, he called out, "do you want to… come in?" taehyung nods vigorously.
jungkook never invited people in since his things that are already turned to gold are out in full display, but he has a feeling taehyung could be trusted with a secret. if he can’t then– well– he'll be taken care of.
"woah… are these all… gold?"
"uhm…"
"guess you're pretty rich." taehyung comments as he sits on one of the gold-coated sofas. not everything was gold, but there was enough to make one surprised. "i didn't think there would be anyone this deep in the woods. so well off too.” taehyung laughs sheepishly. hearing that laugh again, jungkook starts to think that he might miss human interaction.
"you see, i kinda… stole something. i’m- i’m a street thief. i survive by stealing." he looks up at jungkook as if expecting a judgement, but jungkook doesn't react. "and i was caught. sooo i ran into the woods to hide- but i didn’t think it would be this confusing..." he sighs. "thank god for you! else i would have become a lost soul."
jungkook merely nods. he isn’t used to talking to people, so he doesn’t really know what to say. luckily taehyung seems to understand, smiling and letting the conversation die there. jungkook excuses himself to pour two cups of tea.
˚୨୧⋆｡
"do you have to do everything with gloves on?" taehyung comments later, watching jungkook chop firewood from the window. "i mean, it’s a fancy pair of gloves and all, but doesn't it get sweaty in there?"
it’s strange, jungkook thinks, but having taehyung around seems… homely; not so lonely. somewhere in jungkook hopes that it would remain like this for a while.
"i… like it?" jungkook stutters. the gloves served as a solution to not turn everything he touches gold, but he never thought of how others might see it. his mind works to think of a better reason, but taehyung doesn't let him continue.
"you're unique." he grins again. this time, jungkook smiles back. feeling a little more confident, he asks, "do you wanna… bathe?" you look kinda dirty, he thinks, but doesn’t say. it’s a shame really- all that gold in his hair dotted with ugly dirt and mud. taehyung’s eyes lit up at the sound of a bath, but then narrows them again.
"bathe… together…?"
"no, no!" jungkook hastily waves his hands. "i meant- do you wanna take a bath? you look filthy-" he slaps his own mouth, though a little too late. taehyung just laughs.
"i know i look like shit. can i really clean myself here though? you don't mind?"
jungkook shakes his head. "there's a spring nearby. i can take you there."
˚୨୧⋆｡
the cooking utensils had already turned golden; there was no point wearing the gloves. first, taehyung is right that it gets pretty uncomfortable, and second it’s just bad kitchen etiquette. slipping the gold colored gloves off his hands, he starts putting the already prepared ingredients into the pot of stew.
after taehyung came back, they settled down with dinner because taehyung wasn't ready to leave. jungkook was okay with it because… well, he doesn't know. he may not be okay with talking to people, but he is more than okay with listening to taehyung talk.
speaking of, taehyung had started sharing one of his thieving stories, excitedly hopping in his seat. “so– when he wasn't looking i just- snatched it right up! it was shiny and all, y'know? actually i still have it with me!" he reaches into the patchy satchel he had with him and takes out a partially-golden pin.
gold…
"may i see it?" jungkook reaches out, bare palm up.
taehyung frowns at him, before it turns back into a smile. "sure, why not."
the moment the pin touches his hands, it turns into a blinding gold, the color painting over its surface like watercolors. both of them are stunned.
"i forgot… my gloves…" jungkook whispers, his outstretched hand with the pin shaking.
"did- am i seeing things or- did that just turn to gold?" he hears taehyung murmur. his heart pounds and his mind blanks. what should he say? should he pretend that nothing happened?
"uh… i can- i can..." jungkook slowly retracts his hand, holding onto the pin as if it could undo it. just when he thought he found a friend- now he was scaring him away. what the hell should he do? curse these hands. maybe he really was destined to stay alone forev-
"do you turn things to gold by touching them?" taehyung cuts him off. jungkook looks up at him, surprised by his tone. he sounded genuinely curious; without a hint of fear or disgust.
"i… it's just my hands." he answers honestly. to his surprise, tae's eyes… shines?
"that's so cool!" what?
jungkook watches tae's eyes widen for a second, as if he had an epiphany. "ohh, so that's why you wear gloves?"
still dumbfounded, he doesn't register the question. in his mind, he thinks; wasn't taehyung supposed to call him a freak by now? wasn't he supposed to walk out the door, threatening to report jungkook to anyone for being dangerous and greedy, and jungkook would have to repeat what he did to his guardians all those years ago?
"relax, i know about the curse." taehyung chuckles. "when you travel around a lot you tend to hear things. i just didn't think you'd really exist… wow." eyes don't lie, especially not taehyung’s; which was filled with wonder and nothing else. jungkook feels his shoulders relax.
"i don't... i don't have to end your life." he blurts out. only then did tae's expression mix in a hint of fear, his smile dropping.
"do… do you just turn everyone who couldn't keep a secret into gold?" jungkook swallows. there's nothing left to hide, so he nods.
everything comes to a standstill. jungkook carefully watches for any change in his expression; any hint of horror. and then, taehyung makes a move to stand up, walking away from the couch. well, that’s it. taehyung's leaving for sure now, and he's never coming back. jungkook lays against the backrest and closes his eyes. if taehyung has decided to leave, then jungkook wouldn't stop him.
"you don't need to worry then." a deep voice came from his side. jungkook's eyes open to find taehyung standing beside him, looking down at him. in his hands were the pair of gloves that jungkook always wore. "your secret isn’t going anywhere.”
jungkook sits up straight, carefully taking the gloves and putting them on. he’s too confused by taehyung’s actions to really say anything.
"well… this is a little embarrassing now, but… i wanted to ask to stay anyways… regardless if i found out or not." taehyung continues, sighing. "i don't… exactly have a place to call home. i kind of just hop around here and there within villages and towns until i stole and ran again. i was hoping… i could stay here for a while- at least until i'm not a wanted man anymore. i guess now that i know your secret, i kinda have to stay anyways; but-”
with a shake of the head, jungkook just replies, somewhat relieved, “you can stay. i was also… hoping. that you would.”
“you?”
“...i like having you around.”
the smile returns to taehyung’s face.
˚୨୧⋆｡
"you know, i still don't know your name."
"… it's jeon jungkook."
“kook, huh? cute."
˚୨୧⋆｡
jungkook ends up letting taehyung have the only spare room in the cabin. taehyung noted that there wasn't anything gold in it, but jungkook just replied that he didn't go in there often.
a morning came after where jungkook realizes someone is living in his humble home now when he stepped out to see taehyung already awake at the porch. jungkook thinks hearing a "good morning" every now and then doesn't sound so bad.
having someone to care, having someone to care about you. it feels nice.
˚୨୧⋆｡
a day passes, then a few more days, then weeks.
then months have gone by in a blink.
they start to do a lot together; cooking, cleaning, painting, bathing and more. one could say they slotted into each other's lifestyle perfectly.
taehyung had fully told his story once when they sat in front of the fireplace cozy. he’d explained that he never saw his family with his own eyes, being abandoned at someone’s doorsteps since birth. the person that took him in didn’t really care that much about him, even when he chose to walk away from that place forever. having absolutely nothing to call his own, he resorted to stealing and joining gangs, before settling as a lone wolf. “i’m glad i found you. i feel at home here with you.” he had whispered to jungkook before he fell asleep.
though similar to himself in many ways, taehyung is unpredictable. he would go into the woods to retrieve mushrooms and come back with a small group of animals following him. he is creative in many ways jungkook is not.
plus, he has a nice voice, and he is very forgiving. if jungkook accidentally touched one of his things without the gloves, taehyung would just say it's fine. taehyung is also a very direct person, going straight for what he wants. so it didn't surprise jungkook that much when taehyung suddenly asks, "have you ever been in love?" in the middle of laundry.
"no. i don't really talk to anyone."
"oh right. i forgot" taehyung playfully sticks his tongue out.
"if it makes you feel any better, you're my first friend."
"no way, for real? me, a street rat, is your best friend."
"hey, you're not a street rat anymore."
"yeah sure." he scoffs. "you're making me sound like i’m some sugar baby or something”
"we don’t do sex." jungkook scrunches his nose. taehyung chokes.
"yah, that’s not what i meant!" he shouts, whacking jungkook on the shoulders. when he laughs, jungkook starts to think that that's the most beautiful sound in the world, even more than the songs the birds sing.
taehyung never once asked about the gold. he’d never touched them, never wondered about how much they worth, or even thought about them. if anything, it was only when he saw jungkook’s gloves that he’s reminded of it.
jungkook thinks taehyung is kind. he thinks he would like taehyung to stay forever.
and taehyung thinks so too. "you're lying, y'know. you're in love." he flaps one of their shirts to hang.
"…with you?" jungkook catches the blush on taehyung's cheeks. his grip on the shirt tightens.
"…who else? i see it in those eyes when you look at me. you look like you long for something.”
“how do you know?”
“travelling makes you grow - read and understand people.”
jungkook lets go of the peg holding the shirt on the line, turning to face taehyung. "… you're not wrong."
taehyung looks back then, a grin plastered on his face. "good. i was getting a little lonely here." he moves closer to him, and jungkook lets him. he didn't really know what he was expecting when he felt heartbroken at taehyung saying "i can't touch you, can i?"
trying not to let the disappointment show on his face, he shrugs. "never tried."
"should stay safe then." it doesn’t stop taehyung from taking one of his gloved hands, holding it tightly.
˚୨୧⋆｡
“dance the waltz with me” taehyung asks one night. it was rather a special one- taehyung had pulled out a candle that he stole all that time ago and lit it up, placing it on the table. he’d said it was a candlelit dinner.
though taehyung stopped stealing when he started living with jungkook; sometimes he would disappear for one or two days and come back with an abundance of food. jungkook never asked how he did it, but he would notice when one of taehyung’s belongings that was accidentally turned gold was gone.
with the meat that taehyung had brought back awhile ago, they made a somewhat fancy dinner for themselves. that’s when taehyung popped the question.
“i don’t know what the waltz is.” jungkook replies.
“it’s a form of dance. i’ll teach you, just hold my hands and waist.”
“but my hands…”
“i have the right gloves for it, don't worry!” of course, he has everything.
taehyung passes him a pair of gloves that reached halfway up his elbows. according to him, it’s what the fancy people always wore. he took his word for it and put it on, aware that the area of the curse was well hidden beneath its fabric.
learning the waltz isn't that hard for jungkook. however, having taehyung so close to him all the time is. as taehyung guides him through the steps and movement, he could see taehyung’s face clearly. he could wax-poetic about how beautiful his face and figure is, lit only by the candle alone, but there's nothing else that could capture it perfectly other than the word “beautiful.”
taehyung twirls on the spot, giggling and speaking in a pitch higher than usual. “you’re good kookie! it took me a month to learn this.”
jungkook laughs as well when taehyung almost trips after saying that. he likes this feeling; the feeling that nothing else in the world mattered but the two of them. he would like it to last forever.
˚୨୧⋆｡
a few more months pass. taehyung admits that his life had turned a little boring - having not many chances to steal anymore - but the addition of a whole jungkook in his life made it balance out.
so why is it that the happiest moments usher in sudden fear?
they've been living together for a year now. the wanted posters with taehyung's face on it have long been forgotten.
it's hard loving each other. taehyung couldn't touch jungkook, afraid that it would turn him to gold - the most they did was to holding each other’s hands. they still slept in separate rooms, and they were deprived of cuddles and soft touches. still, they make do.
"i hugged one of my pillows sometimes thinking it's you. at least it makes me feel better." taehyung told jungkook once.
taehyung knows that jungkook has never kissed anyone in his life. he was afraid of touching living beings, no matter if it was only his hands that are cursed and that he had gloves. the only times he had ever touched people with his bare hands was when people threatened to call him out to the world. he hated seeing their lifeless gold statues hidden away, but at the same time no one should know of his existence.
when jungkook stands in the wild, he is quite literally kissed by the little sunlight that comes through the leaves, leaving him glowing because of all his gold clothing. though it was only his hands that turned things to gold, it was inevitable that the fabric hugging his body was to fall under the curse as well. when taehyung watches him, he thinks about hugging him tight from behind. he thinks about kissing him. he thinks about how warm his hugs would be.
perhaps, if they were born in another life, they could have done all that without any consequences. perhaps, if they were born in another life, having all that wouldn't have sacrificed the life of either.
taehyung jogs to where jungkook stands. he doesn't see the small tree root beneath him and gets his foot caught on it, making him almost trip and letting out a sound.
jungkook reflexively catches taehyung by his arm. "woah, be careful."
taehyung steadies himself, giving him a sheepish look. "thanks. let's head back in? it's gonna rain."
the younger nods, turning around to head towards the cabin. however, when taehyung tries to lift his feet, he finds them stuck. looking down at what might be holding his feet down, his blood runs cold.
he looks back up. "kook…? um…"
jungkook turns back around. "yeah?"
"your… gloves…?" he might as well not have asked, noticing that the gloves were nowhere to be found. this is bad.
"oh- i left them in-" jungkook stops abruptly when he sees taehyung raising his hands.
one minute they had it all, and the next someone has to lose it all. gold. like watercolor, it spreads. jungkook had touched him, he was turning into gold.
"no.… no. no no no-" jungkook rushes to where taehyung stood, but it was already too late. the feeling in his legs had started to fade away quickly and his mind blanks except for one thing.
this could very well be the first and last time they touch. taehyung isn't going to let that pass.
"jungkook, look at me." taehyung's large hands cups jungkook’s face, making him look up. his huge round eyes that were always filled with love was now full of fear and tears. "you can finally touch me." jungkook reaches up to grab one of taehyung’s wrist immediately, and he could feel him tremble. at the point of contact, gold starts to spread like a drop of paint breaking the surface of water.
taehyung lets go of his face and opens his arms wide. despite the tears flowing down his cheeks, he smiles; the smile that jungkook had once said was his favorite.
"c'mon kookie, a hug?"
jungkook pushes onto him with a force strong enough to make them fall to the ground – if taehyung's feet hadn't already been turned solid. his arms wrap around taehyung’s waist tightly, tears streaming down his face and soaking his shoulder.
“oh baby, don't cry, it doesn't look good on you.”
“i’m so- i’m- i just- i’m so sorry-”
"no, thank you kookie. thanks for letting me stay here all that time ago."
“you're not going anywhere.”
"i really, really love- love you."
“shut up!”
jungkook detaches himself from taehyung's shoulder and cups his face. the dreaded cold that followed the curse immediately starts spreading from where his hands touch.
"kiss me?" jungkook kisses him with all that he has, with his yearning of the past eleven months, with everything he wanted taehyung to know. he kisses him silly like taehyung had always wanted.
knowing his heart is going to stop soon, he closes his eyes. if he were to be frozen solid forever, wearing a peaceful, loved expression and being kissed would be how he’d wanted to go. the memories of the two lovebirds play in his mind, before the world goes dark and he loses all feeling, the warmth on his lips last.
˚୨୧⋆｡
the spot where jungkook's lips touched soon turns cold, and he was forced to pull back. noticing that taehyung had been crying and a trail of tears had turned to gold as well, he starts back stepping subconsciously. where taehyung was standing a minute ago was now replaced with a statue resembling him coated in gold. something builds up within him. it grows and grows, until the realization that taehyung is gone hits him in full force.
"TAEHYUNG—" he lets out a deafening scream for no one to hear. the birds fly away from the trees in a hurry, the herd of deer at the spring throttle away. falling to his knees, he lets his tears run, and he cries. he cries because it's his fault- no- his blood's fault. he cries because it's the curse's fault. the destiny's fault. everything's at fault for taking his love away from him, for making jungkook the reason taehyung is gone.
he cries because he never got to return his share of the three words.
and behind those tightly shut eyes, he cries as well.
˚୨୧⋆｡
the boy with the curse presses his forehead against the statue of his lover, who wore an expression consisted of closed eyes and a gentle, satisfied smile. the animals around the clearing bowed their head, sensing that a life form, a soul, had once again left the forest.
in the woods where light barely penetrates through, there’s a golden cabin. it holds a tale of a heartbroken love, torn apart at the hands of the midas touch, left to be found by their own selves once more- however long it might take.