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Jungkook rubbed his hands together, trying to work up some warmth in his cold hands as he navigated his way through the crowd. He could feel the tiredness in his bones, having worked through a seven-hour shift at the local seven-eleven. Jimin had tried to drag him to the club, his best friend wanting to start the weekend with a bang, but one of his co-workers at the store had fallen ill, leaving Jungkook with a double shift instead of a single one as was the norm of his usual weekends. But he had earned extra cash, so Jungkook wasn't complaining. After all, for a broke, college student like him, every cent counts.
Jungkook increased his pace as he rounded the corner, his heavy boots disturbing the snow that had gathered over every inch of the road and the surrounding trees. Winter was never easy in Seoul, the rough winds making everyone hurry back to their homes whenever an unfortunate reason arose for them to leave their warm and cosy abode. This particular night was a mixture of snow and an occasional cold blast of icy wind.
His shift had ended later than usual and he was looking forward to a night curled up in his cosy bed, away from the chilly weather. His phone chimed, and he glanced at it, his pace unbroken. The text was from his dance partner, Jung Hoseok, reminding him of the dance practice they had this upcoming Wednesday. He shot off an answering text, thanking his hyung for the reminder, already feeling excited for his upcoming class. He loved dancing and the time spent with his favourite hyungdeul made it even more perfect.
Jungkook heaved a sigh of relief when his next turn brought him closer to his apartment complex, the building already looking warm and cosy compared to the dark and dreary weather outside.
He was about to step on the little stairway which lead up inside, when he caught a glimpse of something bright just beneath a thick bramble bush. Jungkook might not even have noticed it, but a fortunate jerk of his head brought his attention to the bright piece of red clothing. At first, he thought it was a handkerchief or perhaps a piece of a ripped cloth but he was stunned into stupified silence when upon further inspection, he saw... something definitely alive with arms and legs. He moved closer, brows furrowing in confusion as his feet moved forward on their own accord.
But he still saw the same thing. A tiny little figure, no bigger than his entire hand, lay crumpled upon the snow on his stomach, with little wings on his back that drooped sideways.
Jungkook blinked. Blinked again a couple of times. Rubbed his eyes and squinted, thinking he might be hallucinating because he was tired. But try as he might to convince his brain, to perhaps see something else, his eyes still showed him the tiny little human sprawled in the snow.
Jungkook looked around himself. Perhaps, he was dreaming, perhaps he had already fallen asleep in his warm bed and it was just a figment of his imagination his asleep brain was producing. But he saw the same streetlight that shone near his building, and the same shops now shuttered close at this time of the night. He hesitantly approached the little figure and crouched to take a better look.
He knew he was being stupid. Perhaps it was a doll, fallen and forgotten by one of the children. There was an elementary school nearby. Yeah, this might be the answer. Of course, there wasn't a fairy or anything like that. It was impossible. But as he looked closer, he registered in a stunned silence that it indeed was alive. One of creature's transparent wing was torn and the poor creature was shivering violently.
Jungkook slowly reached a hand out and poked the figure on his back, mindful of the injured wing. The little fairy didn't make a noise but did shiver violently in response and Jungkook took note of the raised goosebumps on the exposed skin of his arms. He gently turned the little fellow around and his eyes widened further at the sight of the fairy's lips that were as blue as his hair, leaving his whole face looking colourless, except for the two high red spots on his cheeks. His bright red shirt was torn, and the pants on his legs were sodden through, making matters worse. Jungkook carefully took the fairy in his hands, keeping care of the broken wing.
The human was stunned by the whole ordeal, his mind barely wrapping around the fact that he was now cradling a fairy in his hands, but his heart absolutely broke at seeing the pitiful condition of the little creature. Jungkook unfolded his warm scarf and wrapped it carefully around the fairy, who made a tiny little whimper and shivered some more but didn't open his eyes. Jungkook quickly made his way to the apartment, jogging through the corridor to the elevator, all the while keeping his eyes on the little miracle in his hands. His mind was still refusing to believe that what he had in his hands was a fairy, or a goblin or whatever (the wings made Jungkook think of fairies so he stuck to that) and an injured one at that. But another violent shiver wracked through the fragile frame and Jungkook firmly pushed his thoughts away and cupped the limp figure close to his chest.
He quickly opened the door to his apartment and made his way towards his bedroom. He turned on the heating and gently deposited his light but precious burden on the bed.
Now that Jungkook was inside the safety of his home, he carefully looked over the fairy. He had a beautiful angular face with a perfect nose and a strong jaw. His long eyelashes fluttered against delicate cheekbones as the little creature continued to shiver, the blue hue still strong on his lips. Jungkook delicately brushed his hand against the tiny head and was dismayed to find it icy cold and wet.
First thing first, he needed to warm the poor fairy up. Jungkook quickly but carefully stripped him off his sodden shirt and pants, wiping the little body with a tissue paper. He warmed one of his woollen sock with his hairdryer and gently encased the little fairy in it. He examined the broken wing, which looked crooked and twisted. He tried to touch it, but one careful prod made the fairy whimper again so he quickly backed off.
He picked up another tissue paper and wiped the fairy's hair with it, trying to be careful of any head injury he might have missed. Jungkook was no doctor, but he knew the creature needed medical attention but he was damn sure he couldn't go to the hospital with a little fairy in his arms, demanding help.
He picked the little guy up in his hands again and gently cradled him to his body, trying his best to warm him up. He didn't know what he was doing, he was too afraid to drown the sick fairy if he gave him a warm bath. In a bout of desperation, he picked up his hairdryer again and tried to warm the fairy with it, hoping the hot air might help, even if it was a little bit.
About half an hour later, the disturbing blue colour had washed away, leaving pale colourless lips but Jungkook still considered that an improvement. The fairy was still shivering but it wasn't as hard as he was doing before. Jungkook panicked at first, remembering Jimin once telling him that reducing shivers in a very cold environment weren't a good sign, but a gentle brush against the little guy's chest made him woosh a sigh of relief when his fingers met skin that was a bit warmer than before.
The fairy was still cradled against him, and Jungkook gave him gentle strokes through the surface of the sock, still staring intently at the small face. Now that the shock had worn off, wonder and apprehension set in. Fairies were real? How come had this one landed in such a precarious position? Were there others like him, too?
Mind spinning with all the questions, Jungkook gently put the fairy on his pillow, tucking all the ends of the sock in carefully, making sure that the fairy was warm. After thinking a little, he opened his thick blanket and tucked one of its end around the sock, making the fairy snug in all the layers. He stood back up after he was done, making his way towards the bathroom to perform his nightly cleaning ritual.
After brushing his teeth and changing into his nightclothes, Jungkook slowly walked towards his bedroom, wondering if the past hour had been a daydream or perhaps he had hallucinated the entire event. But upon entering the bedroom, he saw the little figure still swept in his blanket and sock and another wave of amazement swept through him. He lay on his bed and turned on his side carefully, facing the unconscious fairy. Jungkook felt a tendril of fear run through him, noting that the little guy hadn't opened his eyes once through the whole ordeal and still shivered periodically. Jungkook didn't want a fairy death on his hands, his mind wilting at the thought of the little guy dying in his helpless hands.
He sent a prayer to the heavens, hoping that the fairy wouldn't die in his care during the night. He gently swept his fingers through the soft wispy hair and fell asleep to the thoughts of little fluttering wings and striking green eyes.
* * *
Jungkook opened his eyes slowly, blinking against the light sweeping through the window. The snow was still falling heavily outside but it was quite cosy in his bedroom. Still feeling the lightness that only comes after a good night's sleep, he smiled sleepily at the ceiling and wriggled his toes in contentment. The side table alarm clock showed him that it was almost 10 am. Sleep threatening to overcome him again, he was about to doze off when the last night's happenings swept through his mind and he sat up abruptly, looking towards the lump on his pillow.
He half thought that the fairy might have flown away or perhaps it was all a weird dream, but dazzling blue hair and an innocent little face greeted him. The little fairy was still asleep, and Jungkook realized with a wave of relief that the little guy was still breathing. But a closer inspection had his stomach swooping in horror.
The fairy was drenched in sweat, two red spots high on his cheekbones, his respiration fast and heavy. Jungkook quickly pulled the blanket away and slid the sock lower to reveal his chest. He gently touched the little body, which was radiating heat at an alarming intensity. Jungkook threw away his blanket with a curse and stood up quickly, but stopped short when he realized that he didn't know what to do.
Shit, shit, shit! What do I do?! He thought to himself, making his way towards the medicine cabinet. He had no idea what to do with the fairy. Would medicines even work on him? Did his metabolism resemble a human's? He opened the cabinet and picked up a bottle of ibuprofen and made his way back towards his bedroom. He still had no idea what he was doing, but one look at the sweat-drenched fairy had him moving fast.
He opened the syrup bottle and picked up the little dropper he had in the side drawer from the time when he had a looked after Yoongi's pup. He hesitated again, hands stilling as he wondered about the dose, having no idea how much to give the fairy. How much would be too much? And what if it made him worse instead of better? But a breathy little whimper from the tiny figure immediately drew his attention. The fairy flailed a little in the makeshift nest of sock and tissue papers and tried to push them back but he had no strength.
"Shh. Shh, little guy. It's alright. You are ok," Jungkook crooned gently to the unsettled figure who tilted his head a little at the sound and opened his eyes to slits. Jungkook was rewarded with a pair of bright green eyes filled with confusion and fear.
"What..." the fairy trailed off, the word a mere breath, which Jungkook strained to hear. His eyes roamed around the room with no clarity, coming back to Jungkook's face again. The green eyes widened a little in fear, but in the next moment they were closing again, his head falling to the side.
Jungkook cursed, scrambling to open the bottle, pinching two drops into the dropper. He gently pushed at the fragile chin with his pinky, opening the little mouth and carefully squeezing the two drops into it.
The fairy swallowed instinctively, and Jungkook sighed with relief. He had gone with his gut instinct and given him the fever reducer, but now looking at the little fairy again, watching his vulnerable form and tiny size, at the tiny little mouth that was panting, he was swamped with the fear that he had done something wrong. The fairy still looked ill, and Jungkook hoped to God that everything would be ok.
* * *
Almost two hours had passed and Jungkook could still see no change in the little fairy, who was now occasionally jerking around and whimpering. Jungkook's heart clenched with every noise the fairy made and he dampened a little piece of cloth with water and wiped the sweaty little face. The fairy would open his green eyes sometimes, his eyes cloudy with confusion and fear and murmur strange words, which made no sense to Jungkook. He wiped the little body again and again with water, hoping to reduce the fierce burning and tried to alleviate the despair that had settled into his stomach, praying that the little guy would be ok.
It was almost three in the afternoon when the fairy opened his eyes again. Jungkook had been sitting vigilantly beside the tiny creature, cloth still in hand and hoping for the fever to come down. The little peek of the green irises perked him up and he sat a little straighter, hoping that the fairy was a little more coherent than the last time he had woken up.
The blued headed creature blinked sleepily, looking up at Jungkook. He blinked twice, then jerked upright with a choked scream.
Jungkook hastily backed away but spoke a steady stream of soothing words, hoping to ease the fairy, which was undoubtedly spooked by the towering human and the strange surroundings.
"Hey, shh, shh. It's fine, its alright, little guy. My name is Jungkook and I found you outside my house. You were injured and it was snowing heavily so I brought you inside. You are completely safe and no harm will come to you here. You are going to be okay."
The fairy was sitting upright in his sock, panting heavily with his little face bright red, but his eyes were clear and were focused on Jungkook with a clarity that had been missing before. Jungkook tried to come closer but the fairy jerked back, his wings fluttering madly behind him, the broken wing making a weird jerky motion. Jungkook moved back with a wince, raising his arms in surrender but continued to talk softly as if he were speaking to an injured animal. And perhaps, the thought wasn't that far fetched.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I promise. I know you are scared and injured but I mean you no harm. I don't know if you can even understand what I'm saying, but I promise you, that you are completely safe. It's going to be alright, little love."
The fairy kept trembling but his wings had stopped their mad fluttering. He leaned backwards and whimpered, clutching the edge of the sock close to his chest as Jungkook slid closer. His heart hurt for the poor creature, and he made a soothing sound, trying to get the fairy to calm down and not aggravate his condition any further.
The fairy tilted to the side with obvious exhaustion and Jungkook gently held his hand out, cupping the fairy, providing a surface for him to rest on. The fairy leaned heavily on the inside of his palm, clutching the pointer finger in his little hands and stared up at Jungkook with big watery eyes.
Jungkook smiled tentatively at him, heart all but melting at the sight before him. He brought his other hand slowly forward, the little fairy jerking his head instantly at the movement, eyeing him warily.
"It's fine, I promise you, love. Everything is going to be completely fine. You are sick and injured but you'll be fine," Jungkook repeated in a soothing tone, gently caressing the fairy's head and nape. The fairy stiffened at the contact at first and his eyes returned to Jungkook's, wide and wary. His wings gave some tiny flutters as he shuddered, but Jungkook's gentle stroking eased away the tension in his muscles, and he even leaned into the touch with a little sigh, closing his eyes.
Jungkook smiled his bunny smile, happy that the fairy had calmed down, happy that he was responding positively to his touch. He leaned closer, never once stopping the gentle stroking, "That's it, buddy. Calm down. You have been through a really tough situation, but I'm glad you are doing so well now."
The skin beneath his touch still burned and was slick with sweat but Jungkook was relieved that it wasn't radiating heat as intensely as it had been before. A sudden thought struck him.
"Are you thirsty, little guy?"
Jungkook looked at the tiny bundle in his hands, whose green eyes were following his every movement. He stared at Jungkook with flushed cheeks and for a moment, Jungkook thought that the fairy really couldn't understand him. But after a moment the fairy nodded his little head, his blue hair swaying with the movement.
Jungkook smiled again and gently placed the fairy back on his bed, before making his way to the kitchen. But he stopped short when he realized he didn't have any cup small enough to provide water for the tiny creature in his bedroom. He looked around the kitchen, wondering what he could use to give water to the fairy. At last, when his search was fruitless, he just grabbed a teaspoon and a bottle of water and marched back to the room.
The fairy was still lying where he had left him, clutching the sock and looking up at Jungkook with sleepy eyes.
"I'm sorry I don't have anything small enough to give you water with, but I hope that we can use this for the time being? At least, until you gain some strength back." He held the teaspoon up hopefully as the fairy just stared at him.
He filled the teaspoon with water and gently nudged the fairy in a sitting position with his fingers, supporting him as he held the spoon up to his mouth. The little guy fluttered his wings, but opened his mouth to drink the water. The process repeated until the fairy turned his head away when Jungkook offered another spoonful.
Jungkook helped the fairy lay down, not liking the way the left wing was still crookedly hanging at an awkward angle. He picked up the damp cloth, carefully wiping the little face and the chest, shushing gently when the fairy trembled and meeped.
"Nothing will happen to you here, love. You can rest easy. I promise you, everything will be fine," Jungkook whispered as he stroked the fairy's head, keeping his movements light, hoping that the repetitive motion might soothe him.
The fairy stared at him with his big soulful eyes.
"J-jungkookie?"
Jungkook startled a bit as the fairy opened his mouth and spoke, but his heart jumped when he heard the fairy say his name in the cutest manner, his voice high and lilting.
"Oh, so you speak! Yes, I'm Jungkookie, love. Can you tell me your name?"
The fairy blinked lethargically at him, his flushed cheeks reminding Jungkook that the fairy was still terribly ill.
"T-Taehyung."
The word was almost whispered but Jungkook heard it and beamed at the fairy, feeling a rush of warmth.
"Well, Taehyung, you can go to sleep now. I promise I will keep you safe."
Taehyung looked up at him with his watery green eyes and kept blinking till each blink turned long and slow. Jungkook stroked the little head until his breathing deepened. He was relieved and surprised that the fairy had understood him, and it was a positive sign that he had interacted with his surroundings. Jungkook just hoped that the little fairy would be better in a few days, his heart melting into a puddle of mush when he recalled the big green eyes and the way he held his finger before. He wiped up the sweaty face once more, before bending down to kiss his head. He pulled up the sock again carefully and picked his phone up, wondering if he should tell Jimin what had happened.
* * *
It was almost ten pm but Taehyung had not opened his eyes again. Though Jungkook was hoping for a peek at those wide little eyes again, he was extremely glad that the high fever had gone down significantly since that morning. The poor little guy was still exhausted, apparent by his pale features and his stillness. Jungkook wanted to look at the wing again, perhaps try to splint it, but he didn't want to disturb Taehyung's sleep, so he just let the little fairy snooze quietly.
He did a little housework and cleaned his cupboard but mostly kept a vigilant eye on Taehyung, not wanting him to take a turn for the worst. But the little fairy slept on peacefully, so Jungkook cracked open his books and tried to finish the assignments that had been piling up. He had decided against texting Jimin, at least for now, until the fairy regained his strength. He sent a quick text to his friend, telling him he was swamped with school work so they wouldn't be able to go out together during the weekend. Jimin whined at first but Jungkook was adamant so the older had to relent, but not without pestering the younger to ease a little on himself.
Jungkook carefully settled himself on the bed that night, turning on his side again to watch the sleeping fairy. He was really glad that the fairy was recovering and he hoped that Taehyung would be able to stay up much longer the next day. His last thought before sleep claimed him was if the fairy had ever eaten cookies or instant ramen.
* * *
Jungkook opened his eyes slowly, immediately turning his head to the side to look at the little fairy sleeping beside him on the pillow. Except the fairy wasn't asleep anymore. Taehyung was wide awake and staring at Jungkook with wonder. When he saw that the human was no longer asleep, he leaned back in apprehension, quickly yanking the sock's edge up to his nose, his wings giving a nervous flutter.
Jungkook sat up slowly, keeping eye contact with the green-eyed fairy. The wide-eyed look made Jungkook a little uneasy. He didn't want the little fairy to be afraid of him.
"Good morning, Taehyung! I hope you slept well. I am glad that you are looking a lot better today. Are you hungry?"
Jungkook smiled softly at the wide green eyes peeking between a mess of blue hair and the sock that was still clutched to the little face. The eyes blinked and the sock was slowly lowered till his face showed. Jungkook smiled wider at the fairy, glad that his complexion was looking better, a little tanned in comparison to the lifeless grey that had tainted the features when he had first found him.
Taehyung continued looking at the human, his mouth opened in a tiny 'o'.
"Kookie?"
Jungkook laughed delightedly at the cute sound, staring at Taehyung with his bunny smile.
"Oh my God, you are so cute! And yeah, Kookie is close enough."
The fairy blinked up at him and then tilted his head, innocently.
"Kookie, why am I naked?"
Jungkook spluttered, before laughing again.
"You were soaking wet when I found you, Taehyung. And you were cold as an ice block and I had to take your clothes off if I didn't want you to die of hypothermia. Plus the shirt you were wearing was ripped badly. The pants can be worn again I guess, but the shirt was unfortunately torn beyond saving. I promise I didn't look, though!" Jungkook said with a chuckle, as the fairy flushed, an adorable red tint covering his apple cheeks.
His wings fluttered again, and Jungkook noted that Taehyung seemed to move his wings whenever he was nervous, shy or afraid. The left wing was hanging awkwardly though, and each movement brought a frown on the fairy's expressive face.
"Hey love, would you mind if I look over your wing? I promise, I will be careful."
Taehyung turned his head to the side, looking at his crooked left wing. He tried moving the injured appendage, but the wing made a sad, jerky motion which caused Taehyung to grimace in pain.
"Oh love, I promise it will be fine. Just let me take a look." Jungkook crouched beside the bed, so he wasn't looming over the little fairy. Taehyung looked at Jungkook before dropping the sock's edge completely to his waist and turned his back to the human, giving him the silent permission to look over his injury.
Jungkook lowered his face and carefully took the wing between his fingers. The wings were really soft to the touch and as light as a feather, the light shining off the intricate patterns spread over the fragile surface. Jungkook had never seen anything more beautiful in his life, vulnerable yet the pure epitome of beauty.
The broken wing needed a splint, Jungkook decided after a close look, because the break in the middle looked worse than he had originally thought and it seemed that a fragile bone might have snapped in half.
Jungkook had watched some YouTube tutorials on homemade splints the previous day, having wondered if the wing needed a little more treatment than he had thought at first. And it seemed now, that the knowledge was going to come handy.
"Love, I think I need to split the wing, otherwise it won't heal properly. Don't worry, though! I watched how to do it yesterday and I know I'll be able to do it."
Jungkook spoke calmly, knowing the process might be painful without any painkillers, but he needed to do it. He didn't want Taehyung to be unable to fly just because Jungkook had been unable to splint it right.
Taehyung watched him move around the room, picking up two matchsticks, a roll of gauze, a roll of tape and a pair of scissors. His uninjured wing gave nervous flutters and his hand was clenched tightly in the sock. Jungkook knew that the fairy was growing distressed, so he started speaking softly, telling Taehyung about his college life, the woes of his major, yet the amazing joy that music had brought to his life, his best friend Jimin and little tidbits about himself, like how he had a hyung back in Busan, how one of his friends, Seokjin loved his other friend, Namjoon but was too shy to say anything about it.
He told him about his gaming experience, about Hoseok and his sunshine personality, about how there was this cutest little puppy in the neighbourhood that kept yapping happily whenever Jungkook would pet him.
He told him about how Jimin had come from Busan as well, keeping his hand steady as he straightened the wing out and put two matchsticks on each side. He kept talking softly about how he joked about Jimin's height as the fairy jerked when he wrapped the gauze around carefully. He spoke about his mother as he taped the gauze to keep it in place and talked about his friend, Yoongi and his mad talent of rapping when the fairy began to tremble. He finished wrapping it quickly and turned around to look at Tarhyung's face again.
Taehyung blinked back at him with his eyes wet with tears, his lashes clumping together as he blinked. He painted such a sorrowful picture that Jungkook instantly took him in his hands and cooed gently at him, stroking his head with his fingers.
"It's done now, love. You did a wonderful job staying still, even if it was painful. It's over now, I promise."
Jungkook nuzzled the little head with his forehead. The fairy tipped his head up looking at him with a pout on his lips, his eyes still watery, but the tears had stopped. Jungkook was immensely glad at the fact his heart twinging at the thought of the faury in tears.
"It hurts, Kookie." The fairy spoke with a wobbly voice, rubbing at his eyes with little fists.
Jungkook made a sympathetic noise and kissed his little head. "I know, Taehyung. I'm really sorry that it's hurting. But I'm positive that it will be fine in a few weeks. I will make sure of it."
Taehyung clutched one of his fingers in his hands, as Jungkook made his way to the kitchen. He put the fairy gently on the counter, Taehyung still encased in Jungkook's woollen sock. Remembering the pants he had washed the previous day he made his way to the bedroom again to pick up the tiny piece of cloth.
Jungkook was highly curious and he wanted to ask Taehyung a lot of questions, but he didn't want to overwhelm the little guy. Taehyung was feeling better than before, but he still hadn't regained his whole strength yet. And Jungkook didn't want to be the one to cause a relapse in his condition.
He picked up the little piece of cloth, walking back to the kitchen. The little fairy was looking around curiously at everything and gave Jungkook a small smile when he saw the black little pants in his hands. Jungkook beamed at the smile, his heart melting at the positive gesture. He gave Taehyung the garment, who took it in his hands and then gave Jungkook a little shooing motion.
"Turn away, Kookie! You are not allowed to peek."
Jungkook squealed internally at the cute gesture and turned around, busing himself to look through the cupboards and the fridge, looking for anything that might interest the fairy.
"So, what would you like to eat?"
Jungkook asked, looking through the fruit basket.
"Umm... apples? Do you have apples? Or berries!"
Jungkook smiled.
"Am I allowed to turn around now?"
Hearing Taehyung's affirmative, Jungkook turned around, an apple, an egg and a loaf of bread in his hands.
Taehyung was standing on the counter, the woollen sock discarded, looking up at Jungkook. His arms were wrapped around his torso, little shivers traveling through his form.
Jungkook immediately looked around, searching for something to wrap the little fairy up with. He picked up a table mat and covered Taehyung in it, wrapping the little fairy in it carefully. Tarhyung startled a little at the action but looked at Jungkook with a big boxy smile. His mood seemed cheerful and this made Jungkook happy.
"Thank you, Kookie!"
Jungkook didn't know how much more cuteness he could handle.
"You are welcome, Taehyung."
Jungkook cut the apple into really small pieces and pushed the small plate towards Taehyung, who sat down on the counter and began to eat it happily.
Jungkook cooked his breakfast while keeping an eye on his tiny companion. The little fairy was munching happily on the fruit, his tiny cheeks bulging with each bite he took.
Now that Jungkook knew that the fairy had cheered up a bit, he decided to test the waters. He dragged a chair towards the counter and sat down with his own breakfast, looking at the fairy.
"So, Tae, can you tell me what happened?" He hoped that calling Taehyung with a nickname would make him feel a little more familiar and comfortable. "I was really surprised when I saw you last night because I haven't seen anything like you before. And you were injured too." Seeing Taehyung hesitate, a piece of apple stopped halfway to his mouth, he hastened to reassure, "If you don't want to tell, that's fine too! I was just wondering."
"No, Kookie. It's fine. You saved my life. And if you had any bad intentions, you had plenty of time to act upon them before, shen I was defenseless and heloless, but you helped me instead. I do owe you an explanation."
Taehyung stared at the fruit as he spoke.
"I'm a nature fairy. There are many of us but we rarely live in the same area. It's not that big of a deal, it's just that we take care of flowers and plants in the wild and help the animals whenever we can. I got lost yesterday, on my way back to my house. I live in a forest in the northern part of the city. It was very windy and it was snowing too. I don't stay out when the weather is this bad, but I had to help a family of squirrels to find acorns for the winter and I lost track of time. By the time I started flying back, it was already snowing hard. I couldn't see where I was going and I smacked hard into a tree. And you know the rest."
Taehyung hung his head and Jungkook immediately wanted to wipe the sad little pout away.
"Its fine, love. I know you are away from home and you are injured but at least, you got to meet me! Kookie the amazing human being!"
Jungkook said with a flourish, trying not to cringe at his lame attempt. A 20-year-old doing stupid shit to cheer up a fairy. What had his life come to?
Taehyung stared up at Jungkook through the layers of the table mat, blinked once and giggled.
And oh. Jungkook would do stupid shit forever just to hear that sound again.
"You are kind, Kookie! Thank you so much for taking care of me! And you look like a bunny I once helped. He ate his carrot with his cute teeth that look exactly like yours!"
Tarhyung stated cheerfully, stuffing another apple piece into his mouth.
Jungkook gasped in mock horror.
"Oh my God, no! It's those teeth again, isn't it?"
Taehyung grinned up at him, his wide green eyes shining with mirth.
"Yes! You are a cute bunny, Kookie!"
Jungkook laughed at him and sighed a little in relief. Taehyung must be feeling fine if he was making jokes like that.
* * *
After finishing their breakfast, Taehyung started to droop again, so Jungkook suggested going back to bed. The fairy hesitated, pouting that he wanted to spend more time with the human, but a huge yawn made his little mouth widen suddenly mid sentence and he blinked back at Jungkook in surprise.
Jungkook chuckled. He held out his hand and the fairy made his way towards the offered limb, carefully putting one foot after another. Jungkook gently cupped him up with his other hand, making the fairy clutch at his thumb.
Jungkook deposited the little fairy carefully on the pillow, and brought the woollen sock back again.
"We need to do something about your clothes, love. You need some new ones."
Jungkook helped the fairy get cosy into the sock again, making sure that the injured wing wasn't squished or bent in the wrong way.
The fairy turned on his side and blinked up at Jungkook.
"I know how to sew, Kookie!"
"We don't have a needle or a sewing machine small enough for you to use, Taehyung." Jungkook answered with a smile.
"Oh."
"Don't worry though! You are the size of a doll and I'm sure we will find you some clothes. Sleep now, Tae. You are tired."
Tarhyung opened his mouth in a tiny yawn in response, and settled down, ready for sleep.
"Hey, Taehyung. Can I tell Jimin about you? He is the best friend I told you about and I promise he is the most gentle human ever."
Taehyung blinked up at Jungkook.
"Your best friend?"
"Yes! He would love to meet you. But it's totally up to you. If you don't want to, I will respect your decision."
Jimin had been blowing up his phone the whole day but Jungkook hadn't told him the truth. He didn't want to break the trust that had developed between the both of them. And he knew that it was a type of thing that couldn't be revealed over a text message.
Taehyung's eyes roamed over Jungkook's face. He stayed quiet for a minute but then said, "Kookie, if he is your best friend, then I trust him. I trust you, Kookie."
Jungkook felt his heart warm, the statement making him happy.
"Thank you for trusting me, Tae. I promise I'll not break it. Sleep well."
Jungkook brushed his lips gently on the little head and stood up.
* * *
Taehyung startled a little at the eager doorbell that rang through the apartment, nervously looking at Jungkook from his perch on Jungkook's shoulder. One of his hand clutched Jungkook's hair and the other clutched the little piece of cloth that covered his upper half, more tightly to his chest. Jungkook had been surprised at the weird request of sitting on his shoulder but Taehyung said that it made him feel less nervous if he didn't feel so small, and looking up at giant humans made him feel very tiny. Jungkook had accepted without a word.
"Tae, love, if you don't want to meet him-"
"No, Kookie. It's fine. I want to meet your friend." Taehyung's determined voice made Jungkook smile a little. He carefully started to walk, hands hovering carefully near his shoulder for the little fairy, a bit apprehensive for the tiny creature settled on his arm. But Taehyung clutched the locks of his hair more tightly, and Jungkook felt a stirring of love and affection for the tiny guy.
Jungkook opened the door and Park Jimin burst into the apartment in a flurry of rapid moments.
"Jeon Jungkook! I swear if you are pulling my leg, I'll-"
Jimin started in a high pitched scream but stopped short when he saw the tiny fairy peeking nervously through the curtain of Jungkook's hair. Taehyung smiled timidly and Jungkook could tell the exact moment the older man fell in love.
* * *
"-and Jungkook was so red that I swear he turned into a tomato." Jimin laughed hysterically, throwing himself on his side with the intensity of his mirth.
Taehyung clapped delightedly, his little giggles following Jimin's loud laughter. Both of them were seated on the bed, Taehyung on the pillow and Jimin facing him, utterly bewitched by the little creature. Jungkook stood at the side, huffing. Of course, the two of them would become best friends in no time and of course, Jimin would tell the little fairy about his most embarrassing moments.
"No, I didn't!" Jungkook stomped his feet like a little child but internally, he couldn't have cared any less about the story, Taehyung's delightful laughter sounded like music to his ears, and he was glad that Taehyung was enjoying the surprise visit. He had been a little apprehensive that Taehyung might be overwhelmed but he shouldn't have worried. Jimin was one of the most gentle and sweetest people Jungkook knew. Plus he was charming. Of course, the fairy loved him.
"Jimine, I love your hair! Taehyung exclaimed happily, pointing at the pink hair, his uninjured wing fluttering excitedly behind him as his wide eyed gaze examined the human's hair.
"Oh, you are the sweetest little bean, aren't you, Tae! And you are rocking your blue colour too!" Jimin exclaimed back, clutching his cheeks in delight.
Taehyung beamed up at Jimin and Jimin gently bent down to kiss Taehyung on his head.
"Oh, I didn't know if Jungkook was pulling my leg or not before, but I still bought some cookies along. Would you like to try some, Tae?" Jimin picked up the box he had dropped when he arrived, too excited to see the little fairy blinking up at him in apprehension, standing on Jungkook's shoulder, reaching up to the upper shell of Jungkook's ear.
"What's that?" Taehyung asked, tilting his head cutely.
"Here, my young grasshopper. You will love these!"
Jimin carefully broke a chocolate cookie in half and handed one to Taehyung who took it in his little hands. It looked way too cute, from Jungkook's point of view. The little chunk looker huge in the fairy's little hands and Jungkook thought he mught burst if he had to keep any more of his squeals inside.
Taehyung stared at the cookie and turned his head to look at Jungkook uncertainly. Jungkook smiled at him encouragingly and nodded.
Taehyung took a small bite of the cookie and Jungkook watched in amusement, as the fairy's eyebrows lifted in surprise and his face shone with wonder. He chewed quickly and his mouth dropped open into a tiny "o".
"This is the most amazing thing I've ever tasted in my life!"
Taehyung exclaimed, munching the sweet treat happily. Jimin smiled and nodded his head, looking smug at the delighted reaction.
"Give me a high five, Tae!"
Taehyung giggled and slapped his tiny hand on Jimin's outstretched one. Even Jimin's smaller hand (at least comapred to Jungkook's large ones) looked huge compared to the little fairy's.
Jungkkok pulled out his phone and took a picture of the two, smiling in utter content.
* * *
"I'm glad you enjoyed today, Tae."
Jungkook spoke softly, turning on his side on the bed they had both settled on, to look at the fairy who was staring right back at him. Taehyung blinked at Jungkook and then stood up carefully, walking on the pillow to reach Jungkook's head. Jungkook stared at the fairy, surprised at the sudden approach.
Taehyung reached out and squished Jungkook's nose between his little hands, his eyes shining brightly.
"You are the most amazing human ever, Kookie. You have a soft bed and a soft pillow and you have good apples! And you took care of me when I was hurt, and you look like a cute little bunny! Your hair is pretty and your eyes are pretty too!"
Taehyung stated happily, his boxy smile in full effect.
He bent down and kissed Jungkook on his nose.
"I'm glad that it was you who found me, Kookie. I love you lots!"
Jungkook stared at the fairy in stunned silence but then broke out into the same bunny smile that the little fairy had just proclaimed 'cute'. He pulled his hand out of his blanket and stroked Taehyung gently on his little head.
"I'm glad that I found you too, love. You are the cutest little thing I've ever seen and I love it when you're happy, and when you laugh."
Jungkook sat up on his elbows, utterly endeared by the wide eyed innocent look the fairy granted him with. He bent down and planted a little kiss on Taehyung's head. He straightened back up but then bent down again with a chuckle and started peppering kisses on Taehyung's tiny face.
Taehyung giggled and fell back on to the pillow on his butt and stroked Jungkook's cheek in response.
"Now sleep, love. We have a long day tomorrow because we will be going shopping. You are going to get a lot of clothes!" Jungkook nudged the fairy back into his makeshift bed and the fairy beamed one more time before settling into his bed comfortably.
"Oh, and I love Jimine, too! Just not as much as you."
Jungkook laughed at the tiny exclamation and settled down to sleep.