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Soft whispers against each other's skin, giggles erupting when he tucked the younger's hair strands behind his ear. The heavenly lights enlightened upon their features while they shared delicate glances at each other. What were they ?
Just two people carelessly in love with one another. Not people exactly , angels. It was hard to tell where they met apparently. It just happened at their first glances. Just two lost souls reaching out to one another.
What were they again? They were more than lovers. Kim Taehyung was ridiculously in love with the younger. Their love was sweet as honey. Sweet as in the younger's lips , he delicately devoured in secret. Maybe it was their only sin they had done till then.
But who was responsible? Taehyung had never experienced this kind of infatuation. Just a few cascading touches on his hand were enough to make his mind go in a frenzy. He was hopelessly in love ,or more than love with the younger.
"The galaxy looks breathtakingly beautiful. " Taehyung had come to admire the younger's smile through these ages. The galaxies the younger's orbs held, were more gorgeous to him. Sitting on a mountain cliff , with their milky wings brushing against each other sharing their own sense of intimacy while their fingertips left delicate touches with one another.
"You are always the brightest star in my eyes." That night Taehyung had held Jungkook all he wanted , and had savoured all the younger's sweetness. It was hard to care for anything else when he had Jungkook in his arms, close to him, as their lips devoured each other under the moonlight. Maybe it was their mistake after all. It was a mistake to have each other a little more only to result in that being their last day together.
They had been selfish for each other. Maybe it was their only mistake. They were long gone for each other. If it were considered a crime to love , they would have loved to be criminals in other's eyes only as long as they had one another.
But how would one feel when they separated their lover from them?
Maybe the heavens were against their love for each other. What had they done ? Just love one another. If only they could know that their moonlit kiss would be their last one in this lifetime.
"What did we do? Love ? Are we going to be punished for loving?!" Taehyung cried in the void being held in chains , tears swarming across his whole face , as his hands struggled to get rid of chains. His skin burned with the slightest of his movements but what burnt more ?
Watching the younger being held just like him , in front of him. Jungkook was exhausted, swinging in the hold of chains ; he had given up as his eyelids drifted close.
"Bun, please don't give up." Taehyung's voice trembled looking at his side, to his lover. what he had expected? Rage fuelled inside him as finally he unleashed his powers, eyes glowing , wings rattling against the restraints. No matter what, he had to save both of them from this calamity.
His skin burned as the restraints absorbed his energy, leaving him dangling in the chains with no energy. His nervous eyes looked at the younger in hope that Jungkook would wake up soon.
" Taehyung and Jungkook. You both have gone against the rules of heaven without taking the consequences in mind. As a result , you both will be punished accordingly. " The voice spoke from the void above them, making the younger flinch at the loudness, slowly fluttering his eyes open.
"Tae…" Taehyung wanted to cry in guilt looking at his lover's state. He wanted to break free , hold Jungkook in his arms once again.
"Love, I'm here. Look at me baby-" Taehyung looked at the younger , taking in his features in defeat. They were no one to disagree against the voices of heaven. Maybe it was their fate. They were bound to get separate.
"Angel Taehyung, you are banished from heaven. As for Angel Jungkook…" Taehyung's heart thumped across his ribcage waiting for the voices to speak again. Being banished wasn't bad, he would still regain his powers. But for Jungkook… he wasn't sure.
"Angel Jungkook, you shall be executed for impeachment of rules. You shall be a citizen of Earth as a mortal till the end. But-"
Taehyung's eyes wandered to the younger's ones. Strangely Jungkook was smiling softly at him. No no no, he didn't want to lose his love in front of his eyes.
"But you are not allowed to repeat your mistakes from this lifetime. By mistakes , we mean falling in love with Taehyung. Or else the events will repeat itself all over again."
"I agree." Jungkook spoke , his voice timid. Taehyung's heart shattered for the millionth time looking at the younger. Both of them with tear-stained faces.
"No, this can't be! What kind of jurisdiction is this?!" Taehyung opposed but in return, shook as a burning sensation flashed throughout his whole body.
"Tae...look at me." Taehyung looked at the younger for the last time, defeated with tears continuously flowing across his cheeks.
"Nonetheless, we have to expect destiny. But for all these years, I have known you. They were the best, everything I could ask for. Though it will harm me, I promise to fall in love with you in each of my lives on earth. I couldn't have been so lucky to have you as my partner. I promise to love you till eternity. I promise to remember you. Will you come to me?"
"Baby, don't say that please-"
"I require an answer from you Taehyung. Will you come to me? I want to be you, fall in love once again, several times. Maybe lose myself in your embrace unlike this time? Just once? Taehyung answer me." Taehyung gripped on to the chains, unable to take in the younger's words.
"I do. I promise to look out for you. I will love you for life." For the last time, he tried to look at Jungkook with a soft smile, a smile which hid his sorrows and heart crumbles.
"I love you Tae and will always do. In all lifetimes, I will love you. I shall meet you later my love." Just as Jungkook reflected his smile with his own trembling lips, the sky flashed, Taehyung closing his eyes in the impact.
Slowly, opening his eyes his body went numb. His shoulders slumped , his overflowing tears came to a halt. He felt nothing, almost lifeless looking at the shackles at his side dangling in the air.
The younger was gone, Jungkook was gone. His chains released him , in an instant falling on his knees. He had just lost his lover leaving him all alone. The darkness grew upon him as he was left staring at his lap , left to feel nothing.
The only thing he had left was the memories, and the sweetest smile Jungkook sent him before he was gone. He was about to live his life with this intact image in his mind , all the time.
——
Years had passed. Hundreds? Or thousands? It didn't matter. Taehyung was left with nothing but the emptiness across his chest. The only thing keeping him going were the words the younger spoke before disappearing. It was hard to count the amount of sunrises he had seen.
He had seen mankind growing into colonies, kingdoms to now cities. He was left with all of his powers , his wings now black. A clear reminder from the heavens of his doings. But still, a part of him was missing. His lover.
The promise they made ages ago still remained intact.
Did he meet Jungkook? Yes in two lifetimes. But unfortunately, fate repeated itself.
The first time, he wandered into a kingdom in boredom. On that day, their prince was meant to tour around the city in his royal palanquin. According to the whispers among the crowds, it was clear that the prince was born physically weak for which he needed assistance in everything.
Amidst the bowed heads of the citizens, Taehyung peeked his head up to meet with the gaze of none other than his lost lover. That eye contact had brought him immense happiness, more than anything. He had finally found the younger in the mortal world. He was alive , breathing in front of his eyes. He was beyond happy. More than anything. But somewhere deep, there was that fear of losing the younger once again.
A strange instinct caught him. He can't afford to lose the younger once again to heaven's curse. Without thinking, he disguised himself as the servant of the royal family. It didn't take much time until he caught the prince's attention.
Staying away from Jungkook had him gone. He was longing for something that was so close yet so far away from him. From the day he was appointed to the prince's chambers it didn't faze him that the younger's health was deteriorating further. The times he shared a couple of words with the prince along with the soft smiles Jungkook flashed him in his bed.
He came to admire the younger once again, it was like falling in love all over again. But there was this problem. Jungkook's body was growing weaker in his vision. Although the physicians said it was nothing , he could see right through it. It was happening again.
His heart stopped when one day, he came to see the younger lying lifelessly in his bed with shallow breathing. His footsteps scrambled until he was beside Jungkook, moisture already pooling around his eyes.
"Tae, I remember everything." Jungkook's voice broke as he peered at the older through his half closed eyes. His hand reached forward to trace Taehyung's features slowly.
"We met again. Weird isn't it? No matter how long my memories take to come back to me, I still fell in love all over again." Taehyung couldn't help but to hold the younger close to him, just like Jungkook desired.
"Thank you for loving me. I can close my eyes forever now. You are free Taehyung." That same smile, once he had seen before. The older broke down , the same heart shattering feeling creeped into his body.
"Don't say that Jungkook...we can find a way right? I can't lose you again!" Taehyung hastily asked , cupping the younger's face in his hands while Jungkook's fingers wiped his continuously falling tears.
"Who are we Tae? Mere creatures. We can't change anything. I just hope to see you again , in another life because I fell in love with you again this time.." He giggled bitterly.
"Thank you for fulfilling my wish. Although I'll keep my promise forever. I'll love you until the end…" Jungkook's words trailed until it became silent , his lips stopped moving.
Those were the last words Jungkook uttered leaving Taehyung in shock once again. Watching his lover, losing their life in front of him for the second time.
He couldn't save him again. He wanted to cry in agony. What was the worth of his life when he was unable to save his loved one ?
The second time ? It was hard just as the earlier two times. The world was slowly becoming civilized which meant he couldn't roam around and survive. He had come to work in the army, the only thing he could enroll in.
At Least when he thought he would cherish the memories of the younger and start a new life, fate once again surprised him. The new recruit came smiling in his tent , bowing in front of him. The same bunny smile he had seen ages ago left him astonished.
"Sir, I'm here to introduce myself. My name is Jeon Jungkook and I'll be serving your team from today." Taehyung gulped.
It wasn't going to happen again. Not again! He wasn't comfortable with the idea of the younger losing his life once again because of him.
Nevertheless, he tried his best to keep a safe distance from the younger in the camp. But how could he ignore the person he had loved through centuries. Even when Jungkook got the slightest of the injuries, the first one to come running to the younger was him.
"Chief, I'm okay." The younger softly smiled while Taehyung coughed, looking elsewhere.
"I'm not here for you. Uh- I need some pills for my headache."
His voice stuttered while Jungkook laughed along.
"Of course." Jungkook teased. Everything was going just fine. Taehyung had thought of a little hope. He didn't want Jungkook's memories to come back nor did he want the younger to fall in love with him once again. Anything would lead to another disaster and yet another heartbreak.
Well, he thought of it too soon. The day had come where their troops had to go for war. On the day of the departure, he couldn't help but notice the change in Jungkook's eyes. They aren't joyful as before but instead they were sad, as if he would almost cry.
Just a few minutes prior to the departure, Taehyung was dragged to his tent to be met with a pair of glistening eyes looking at him. Jungkook's hands held tightly on his shoulders.
"We meet again sweetheart." Taehyung smiled faintly while they bumped their foreheads together just to stay in that position for minutes. Taehyung's hands unconsciously moved to the younger's waist to keep him close.
"You are so stupid love, remember what I promised? Although you tried so hard to keep me away from yourself. Here I'm, so in love with you all over again." Jungkook smiled leaning in , as tears dripped across both of their cheeks.
Their lips met in a slow and deep kiss. It hurt Taheyung thinking how it would be his first and last kiss with Jungkook in this lifetime as the younger had already regained his memories.
"Please be safe." Taehyung moved forward, to kiss his lover's tears away while Jungkook giggled in adoration.
"Aye aye captain." As expected, it was the last day Taehyung saw the younger there. The letter stated that their troops had lost their lives in a bomb explosion.
What was he expecting? It was bound to happen again. No matter how much he wanted Jungkook to be in his arms once again, the thought of the younger losing his life again frightened him.
Their fate was cruel and bittersweet. They had been punished for loving each other nothing else? It was vague calling out to the heavens and demanding what was wrong in love ?
He had chosen to give up entirely. He wasn't the one to meddle with Jungkook's life and risk his life all over again. But even after all this he was a bit selfish. He wanted to see the younger once again, even if for a second he would be grateful. Just one glimpse and he was done. He will disappear from Jungkook's lifetimes entirely.
———
Fast forward to the present time. Jungkook stood in front of a store waiting for his friends to bring some snacks. The wintery air flew across the street as he rubbed both of his hands together. His pink button nose peeking through his scarf.
"When will they come back-" Just as he muttered, he was cut off by a force colliding with his right shoulder. As a result , he turned around only to meet with a pair of eyes looking into his. A small smile on his face. The stranger made him lose his breath. Not a single word could be forced out of his throat.
He was dazed by the stranger across from him, softly smiling at him. He seemed oddly familiar as well. He was lost in the stranger's eyes as he just stared.
A soft feeling traced his face, unknowingly reminding him of an imprint of a hand. He felt it cupping his face although there was no hand visible. It was just an invisible sensation.
"Love you forever...sweetheart. " A whisper in his ears ringed through his head. He had never felt something like this. Something so weird but so familiar to him. Just like something he had lost in the past coming back to him.
"Hey, Jeon. Why are you crying?" Jungkook finally blinked, turning to face his seniors. His hand moving forward to wipe off the tears from his face. It was uncanny. He never realised that he had been crying all along.
"Oh- that stranger-" He turned once again to get a glimpse of the stranger but was met with nothing but silence. The stranger was gone. Not a single trace of him anywhere in the street.
"What stranger, Kookie?" Another of his seniors called out while he stared at nothing, still in trance.
"He looked familiar-" The mere memory of the stranger smiling at him brought tears to his eyes once again.
It felt like a sudden hit in his chest, his mind flooded with random thoughts but something was off. He had known that man from somewhere but something seemed to be off.
When he tried to remember, he couldn't. Just like a block on his mind as well as on his memories. He stood with mouth agape , breathing harshly. He had to go find that man again.
"Kookie, let's go home…"
"No jimin hyung, you don't understand. It felt weird, I felt-" He wasn't allowed to finish his words as he was dragged out of that street. His seniors bickering their way out as well as comforting the younger.
Taehyung saw it all. He was relieved that he had the chance to look at the younger once again , maybe for the last time itself.
His feet took him to no destination after he flashed his last smile to the younger who disappeared along the street.
"Sometimes, it is good to let go in order to not hurt anyone anymore. Though we are not together , you will be still in my heart forever. Though fate tore us apart, a part of you will be still inside me. I'll live my life with the happy memories I have spent with you over the ages."
"I kept my promise, Jungkook. I loved you and will still do."
"You were the brightest star in my eyes. You still are and you always will be the brightest star in my galaxy forever."
Taehyung said before his footsteps took him to no specific destination. At least away from the younger. Away from Jungkook so that he could be safe.