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“What is love? Those who don’t like it call it responsibility. Those who play with it call it a game. Those who don’t have it call it a dream. Those who understand it call it destiny. And me, I call it you.”
-Justin Neutron
“Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate”
-Matthew 19:6
"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."
-Dr. Seuss
Tangerine gold.
Pastel blue.
Orchid pink.
Jimin thinks silently as he stares bright eyed at the wide expanse of a mix-match of colours above him.
He thinks it’s a messy painting, honestly. As if someone hurriedly stroked across the paint board without any considerable thought. It’s messy, and out of place. There’s pink over there, orange on the horizon and strange blue peering over white blobs. At night the paint runs off and only a clear film of dark blue-black is left. Empty, except for the little holes in the fabric above. Jimin often questions who was careless enough to poke a hole on the canvas of their painting. He assumes it’s for someone to breathe through. Whether it’s him or the cat in the moon, he’s not exactly sure.
His mother calls it the sky. And Jimin half wonders why.
Jimin much prefers the view of the aurora-blue lakes. Well, he’s never seen one in person but it seems really nice. Or maybe the view of his pretty neighbour……’s sugar cookies that taste like paradise on his tongue, sensations tingling in sweet. Jimin should really thank the boy, he owes him a kind favour for the beautiful seconds of delight experiences with every tasty brown oval.
Maybe later he’ll give him something sweet as well. Jimin ponders on either a cupcake or a kiss. Hershey’s kiss of course.
On a particular day of sneezing winds and rustling leafs, Jimin decides to head out to his favourite park behind his house. It’s autumn and Jimin finds no enjoyment in the dull discolourment of those pale green leaves turning to fiery red, pumpkin orange, and muted browns. Nor the whispering weathers of faint warmth and sly cold. But at least it means that the park’s swings are fretfully easy to clean compared to the tears of the above in spring and angel pearls of the above in winter. Jimin always seats himself on the same swing, the black one at the end of the right. His swing. Margaret, is its name.
His surprise is evident when he finds another boy seated on his swing inaccurately. Jimin furrows his delicate brow and inches closer, wary of the new stranger. He gets a whiff of fruity vanilla, and takes a step back. Odd. The stranger notices his presence from the scuffling of his small feet and turns to face Jimin. There about the same age roughly, but the stranger seems to have eaten up a bit more height.
Their eyes meet carefully, one pair of soft ebony orbs and another of sharp honey-gold pupils. Jimin thinks that the boy looks like a cat in a way, based on the quiet smirk playing on his lips, high nose, and accentuated face. He vaguely recalls the memory of a movie he once watched, something about Mad Cat’s wearing hats and drinking tea?
The stranger partly opens his mouth. “Hi…..hi….hi!” He stutters confidently, dark brown locks rustling in the wind.
“Hello. You’re on my swing,” Jimin crosses his arms in the way his mother would when she is angry. But his face remains brightly grinning, cheeks of baby fat curled upwards.
“Oh.” The stranger replies, looking slightly disinterested yet still amused. “D’you want to share?”
Jimin takes another whiff at the crisp, fall weather and nudges his foot on the varying green beneath his tiny feet.
“K.”
So that’s how they end up sitting like a horse on the considerably large swing that could have fit them both, but they both decided that sitting directly across each other on the 8 inch seat would be more efficient. It wasn’t.
“What’s your name?” Jimin asks harmlessly, day dreaming about flying dolphins and dancing scarecrows. Little fingers twiddling around his baby thumb.
“Hmm. I think its Taehyung. But you can call me Taehyung.”
Taehyung smiles a rectangular grin with bright pearly white canines. Jimin smiles his Cheshire-cat like grin and crescent eye smile back, as if fighting fire with fire, through blinding smiles.
“I’m Park.” Jimin states proudly, though befuddling over his one-syllable words. “Jimin Park.”
“Park?” Taehyung squeals out in mock joy, flinging his arms up rapidly, which turns out to be a bad idea since the swing flips over from the sudden lack of weight, and both boys tumble on to the sandy sediment below.
“Jimin Park.” Jimin corrects him with faint smatters of dust covered on his face, lying on the ground under the swing comfortably.
Taehyung looks like he wants to press forward in a flurry of questions, but instead he rolls around in the sand peacefully. Jimin stays peering up at the awkward above.
“It’s not pretty at all.”
Taehyung rolls to Jimin’s side. “What’s not pretty?”
Jimin points up, and Taehyung’s eyes follow.
“That above-thingy. It’s all wide and weird, and mushy. I don’t like it.”
Taehyung pouts. “It is pretty.”
“When?” Jimin asks bitterly, still staring at the cacophony above, litters of black dots flickering about.
“At night.”
“Night? What’s night?”
“After bedtime is night.”
Jimin makes an ohh sound in response, understanding what it is.
“But my parents don’t let me out at night.”
Taehyung makes the gesture of bunnies with his hands. Shadow-playing in the heavy sun.
“Look out your window at nighttime, kay?”
“Hmm. Okay.” Jimin feels curious about this supposedly pretty ‘night’ ‘time’ thing.
“Promise, Jiminie?”
Jimin frowns at the sound of his name being curiously defiled. But Taehyung simply holds his fingers above Jimin’s face, small pink thumb and pinky out.
Jimin hesitates, but then lifts his own even smaller fingers to press a kiss of thumbs and link of pinkies. A promise. Everyone knows that you can never break a promise. It’s a clumsy exchange, but it feels like lavender butterflies for them in their tender hearts.
“I promise.”
Later at night, Jimin feels like falling asleep with the thoughts of purple meadows and singing crows. But the electrifying touch in his small fingers reminds him of a misty promise.
He slowly drags his body off of his thin bed and steps towards his rather large window, swaying curtains of blue elephants and orange giraffes playing on the thread.
Jimin intakes a full breathe, slightly anxious feeling. He brushes back the thread curtains and looks up at the dark expanse. First, his head quirks because it doesn’t look stunning at all and simply reminds him of a black washed off canvas littered with holes.
Then.
A loud flash and boom catches his eager eyes.
Sparks of vibrant red, indigo blues, and royal purple dash through his line of sight from nearby, breaking apart their colourful hearts in the sky and jumping like fairies to flit about. A spark here, a spark there, Jimin’s heart can’t catch up with all the pretty sights before him. The sparks even die elegantly, carrying their dreams on their shoulders and running down like fingers on a piano. Pretty, he thinks, mouth hanging agape and his crescent eyes filled with childish love.
Jimin forgets all about his own life in his desperate pursuit for the sparks. He stays hungrily devouring them all until, a single spark is delicately placed in the sky and erupts in a cacophony of vanilla blushed by light mahogany. It reminds Jimin of the boy he met on his swings, for a strange reason.
Under his eyelids, Jimin catches the fleeting image of purple hair, a tall, tan boy before him, basking in the sunlight and staring with pure adoration towards Jimin while holding out a blue box with something flashing joyously gold within. He chastely dismisses the strange creation for later on.
The above is now painfully empty, only the same holes in the above flashing briefly. Jimin can still hear the insistent thrum of sparks behind his ear. It’s comforting, and Jimin warmly takes in the crystal memory.
That boy, Taehyung, was right. The above is pretty at night. Jimin smiles despite his inner battle against stranger scents and brief visions.
Jimin falls asleep albeit hesitantly, but with a quaint smile tugging up his loose features. The bass of the sparks still whispering and tickling his sensitive nose.
The two strange boys meet again the next day, purely by chance when their tall guardians dragged them away to the giant-adult store filled with ogres and pigeons. Full of overly-poppy colours and rusty, gross scents.
Jimin spots the boy with a bush of brown hair two feet away, and his little feet carry him to the other boy.
“Taehyung.” He calls out.
The boy turns, a playful smile gracing his lips.
“Jiminie.”
They stare at each other fondly in the middle of the produce aisle. Catching dark green looks from other fellow customers, faces scrunched up clumsily like a clatter of broken toys.
“The above was really pretty last night.”
“I know, right?” Taehyung grins his rectangular smile in self-satisfaction.
“Right.” Jimin brushes away the dark fringe against his eyes and shakes his head up and down.
“Want to see more pretty things at night time?”
Jimin’s jumps up quickly, nodding rapidly and soft face barely containing his glee.
“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes please!”
“Okay! I think I live near you. Let’s meet up!”
They both smile wolfishly at each other. Thoughts of sparks on one’s mind, thoughts of lemonade in the other’s head.
“Jimin! Come over here!” A female voice calls out in the distance, causing Jimin to spin a careless 180 degrees on his reused heel. He shoots a dainty grin at Taehyung, and waves gingerly. “Bye. Taehyung. I’ve got to go. See you soon.”
Taehyung waves widely back at his new acquaintance. “Bye. Hope I see you again!”
They see each other very, very soon. In fact, a mere 3 hours later.
Jimin is sitting on the front porch dejectedly as his dark haired mother slowly waters the spectacle of flowers and plants splattered around the edges of their house. She hums a soft tune as she lovingly pours drops of azure to every bloom. It’s as if she’ll break out into dance and song at any given moment. Already he had grown bored of his constant thoughts of guarded turtles and busy newspapers. His lazy eyes turn from one side of the street, to the other, continuously, in a way to ease his uninterested mind. City lights on one side, rows of houses on the other, city lights on one side, rows of houses on the other, city lights on one side, a boy with a grinning face way too close on the other-
Jimin backs up instinctively, face frozen in utter shock. That pretty neighbour of his really has to stop sneaking up on him all the time, especially not with his face right in front of him. Jimin blankly takes in the boy’s bunny teeth, button nose, and doe eyes. Not him, again.
“Hi, Jimin!” His neighbour chirps excitedly, clutching a white plate in his pale hands.
Jimin ruffles his ebony hair in a fashion to slightly obscure his view of the other happy child who reminds him of cookies and cotton candy. “Hi…. Jungkook.”
Jungkook’s cheeks turn a nice shade of tomato and he shyly laughs, a tinkling sound that unfortunately fills the silence. “My mother made you some chocolate cookies again. It’s a fresh batch so it’s really good.”
Jimin takes the white plate into his lap, gazing in adoration at the sight of those perfect morsels. In his distracted mind, he takes no notice of Jungkook seating himself right beside him. Jimin munches deliciously on the slightly lop-sided cookie first because it’s the strange ones that always taste the best, in his opinion.
“Jiminie!”
He wipes his brown crumbs off with his white sleeve and smiles inside. The scent of vanilla hitting his nose, as well as the faint scent of chocolate cookies remaining.
Taehyung hurriedly rushes over, leaving his confused mother to small talk with Jimin’s own mother, or perhaps Jungkook’s mother since that great cook is probably lingering near her front yard as well.
“I didn’t know you lived in 122!” Taehyung exclaims in mock agony, honey eyes melting with gentleness.
“I do. I really do,” Jimin shoves another brown oval into his mouth before talking. “Whersh do yoo livsh?”
Taehyung doesn’t miss a beat. “I live in 124! Right across your house!”
Jimin celebrates outwardly, jaw cracking into a cheerful grin. Who knew that Taehyung lived right across him? It’s a miracle from the cat on the moon.
It seems like Taehyung finally notices the plate of cookies on Jimin’s lap, because a corner of his mouth starts to salivate. Jimin takes immediate notice and prescribes an effective cure; a cookie to share. He hands him lop-sided cookie, and Taehyung takes it enthusiastically, taking a bite of the obvious scrumptiousness.
Besides Jimin, watching the spectacle, Jungkook pouts in anger. The young boy is fed up of the strange boys that he can’t even fathom to understand and stalks off in annoyance, but the two boys take no notice and simply smile for only each other. Seeming to have transported to a vast world where only the two of them, and a plate of cookies, exist.
“I have lots of pretty things to show you, you know Jiminie?” Taehyung licks off his long fingers to save the sugary taste from running away into the downwards abyss.
Jimin’s ear perk up. “Like what?” The sparks were amazing, so what else could be just as beautiful?
The glint in Taehyung’s eye is addicting. “Shooting stars, the Northern lights, sunsets, my dog….” He trails on and on about these apparently pretty things. Jimin hasn’t heard of any of them before, and is greatly anticipating to find out what they are. Like butter on a hot frying pan he’s melting for Taehyung’s antics.
Jimin clicks the side of his chin in contemplation. A bright bulb popping over his head. “Want to come over today?”
“Sure!” Taehyung replies without initial hesitation, his tone pinkly shy yet overly exurbant. “I’ll go ask my mom!” He dashes over to the side of the still dazed, finely dressed woman, muttering loud words. With one quick shake of the head, Taehyung practically hops back. Something like a busy kangaroo would do in the streets of New York. “Yay, it’ll be so fun! Just let me bring my flashlight, Soon shim, anime set, and rock collection!”
Jimin cocks his head, wondering who Soon shim is. Though blatantly thrilled inside because he’s quite ready to experience life through Taehyung’s honey eyes. Life never tasted so tenderly gold. A true act of serendipity.
Eight years later, the pair is still the strangest anyone could ever imagine. Jimin and his crooked mind of personification and lack of knowledge about beauty or life. Taehyung and his unusual antics plus blatant, bipolar-like personality. They fit like puzzle pieces, ironically enough, when everyone else thought that they weren’t even puzzle pieces and simply the box of life.
Jimin’s found beauty, thanks to Taehyung. Of course he still thinks the above is messy, people are ugly, and auras are persistent, but he’s found a liking for sparks, shooting stars, Taehyung’s dog Soon shim, and Taehyung himself.
Taehyung still doesn’t open his eyes for anybody, except his good friend Jimin who he likes because of his attractive chastity and unique open-mindedness. Jimin pushed him off the edge of insanity, pulling him to the comfy home that Jimin’s snuggles in on the borderline of sanity and insanity.
Their world is open, but people are not. Over the years, they’ve accepted some parts of the sky, Tokyo Ghoul, dogs, more cookies, and paper airplanes into the inner world within their hearts. They remained kindly disclosed from the rest of the world, but that was okay since they had each other to find strength in. They’re not an antisocial pair, on the contrary they are as bright and confident as anyone gravely popular can be and have many close friends, plus a small drabble of star struck admirers. But they are simply too strange, bringing the term 4D to a whole other level of 6D - and that’s on a good day.
Taehyung’s befuddled emotions are already flitting across his features by the time he sits down into the cold, metal chair, surrounded by the loud buzz of student’s chatting. He catches the words ‘exam’, ‘Jungkook’, ‘make-up’, and ‘valentines’. In his catastrophic mind he tries to rearrange the sequence that might have nothing to do with each other in the first place. So, Jungkook wore make-up on valentines to pass the exam? Or did the exam go to valentines and bought make-up for Jungkook? Or did it buy Jungkook for the make-up? Hmm.
A snap of deft fingers makes him flutter an eyelash.
“Where are you now? Alien?”
Taehyung frowns, remaining blank save for the downwards curl of his lips. The other boy who sits beside him scowls and brushes back his black locks. Sharp, doe-like eyes painfully scouring the room in irritation.
“I said where are you now? Earth, or your own little world?”
“It’s Jimin’s and mine’s own little world actually.”
Jungkook left eyes twitches, while he taps his thigh quickly. “Hmm. Oh, really.”
Taehyung nods, a frown still marring his petite features.
At that unproductive moment in class, Taehyung wonders what his hair would look like a fiery lavender.
It’s only two days after that he really does dye his dark locks an extravagant royal purple, highlighted by streaks of pale lavender. It’s a sight for the students, seeing as they visibly squint at the sight, but then again they’re used to it since he dyed his hair both electric blonde and pale flames before.
Jimin is the first to smile his crescent smile, as always. He jumps into his friends arms and nuzzles close to the scent of his favourite vanilla. “Taehyung. You’re so pretty!”
A girl walking by grimaces, but not because she’s disgusted, but because Park Jimin calls everyone ugly at school except for his best friend. It’s very hurtful actually, but Jimin defends that the students are about as pretty as the high up above, which is an insult that they wouldn’t understand.
“Well, you’re adorable.” Taehyung whispers in his newfound deep voice. Jimin laughs lightly, warmth spreading across his chest like a wildfire. Thanks, he mumbles inaudibly. He peers at his pretty friend closely; tall, tan, and a head of vibrant purple hair. He feels like he’s seen this image before, somewhere.
“And now it’s purple.” A clipped, callous tone in sent their way. Jungkook standing their coldly with a backpack slung over his shoulder and an indifferent expression in his calculating eyes. “Wonderful.”
Jimin shuffles behind Taehyung on instinct, since it seems to be his one unbreakable habit from shifting away from his over bearing, pretty neighbour. Taehyung smiles to break the immediate ice in Jungkook’s eye from Jimin’s small movement.
“Thank you?”
“You’re welcome.”
He casts one more dangerous glance at Jimin before sauntering off.
“I don’t know why but he always ends up with me in everything, Taehyung.” Jimin shortly whines in small puffs of cloudless air. “I always got this feeling from him that he wants something from me or something…”
Taehyung listens to those words, traces Jungkook’s jerk-like qualities and cold front, plus the secret shameless looks.
He has a sinking suspicion that Jungkook may like his Jiminie.
To be honest he’s always been acutely aware of the possible feelings, but he never dwelled on it because he did not care for that dark haired boy. Even now, he smoothly tosses the thought to his littered floor of hopeless hopes and dreamless dreams. He’ll come back to it later after the event of Haley’s Comet.
It’s valentines, or so Taehyung assumes since there is a giant banner at the front of the plastic-smelling mall stating, ‘VALENTINES DAY SALE’. He slides in along with the handful of swirly red-pink couples. He had only gone in to locate the possible DVD set for the most recent episodes of One Piece. But it didn’t look like that was going to happen soon since the mall was covered with couples coming in all different sizes, shapes, flavours, and smells. It was literally painful to shove shoulders into get wherever he desired.
Taehyung caught the sight of a quiet, indigo store amongst the rowdy humans hunting around for sales. He stepped in gingerly at first, but the sight of the quaint old man smiling at him calmed down his delving heart. The store was painted a deep blue, clear glass cases showcasing expensive jewelry. Pretty jewelry. The only other people in the store were an old couple pondering on pearls and a famous looking pair admiring the sapphires.
“You look like a handsome young man. I should let you know that we have a new addition of rings that came in today.” The old man states in a fond tone, gesturing to a glass case of gold and silver rings.
Taehyung reads the sign above, “For that special someone, who you care for and wish to be with forever.” Immediately he thought of his good friend Park Jimin. He would definitely appreciate a gift of nice rings from Taehyung. Tightening their thick bonds of friendship.
He peers closer at the rings, all different designs and gems whispering at him to be picked. Rubies, diamonds, sapphires, topaz, emerald, littered on bands of beautiful gold. Taehyung catches a sliver of movement to his left, and stared at a particular ring that reminds him of a firework, which brings a touch to his fragile heart. He knows Jimin loves the sparks. “I’ll take this one, please.”
The old man nods appreciatively. “Credit or visa?”
Taehyung shuffles through his pocket and pulls out a gold MasterCard, handing it to the man who looks devilishly pleased. The price has far too many zeros in it to be comfortable, but it’s worth it. Jimin’s always worth it.
A purple-black dragonfly swishes past him, preparing for its battle against the humid air and vicious prey. Jimin watches it all with fascinated eyes, clasping and unclasping his hands slightly nervously. It’s a gloriously yellow day since the blob in the above decided to shine intimidatingly bright. Jimin keeps squinting to make out the small creatures and colours dashing merrily in the day.
He’s long forgotten that Taehyung invited him to the park behind his house in the first place. Rather thoughts of tiny soldiers and sappy leprechauns creating a scene in his head. Jimin stretches out his unoiled arms, flinging them high up.
“What are you doing here?”
Jungkook looks incredibly shadowed in his midnight attire. The dark silhouette stark in the light.
“Waiting.” Jimin answers, blinking slowly with his dark lashes tickling his eyelids.
Jungkook scoffs, and walks forward. “Remember how I used to give you all those cookies?”
Jimin smiles at the oval memory, nodding lightly in a way to signify his keen love for cookies.
“Don’t you think you have to pay me back?” Jimin can quite literally smell the scent of chocolate cookies wafting in the air as Jungkook gets closer.
Jimin had thought of that, actually. “I did. But I didn’t know whether I should give you a cupcake or a kiss.”
“I’d like a kiss.” Jungkook blurts out without a second thought.
Little fingers dig into his pocket, but only pull out mints and Kit Kats. After a moment of intellect, Jimin presses a light delightful kiss to his two fingers and places it on Jungkook’s own soft lips.
“It’s probably not what you hoped for, but it is still a kiss.”
Jimin wonders why Jungkook’s face always turns into a ripe tomato, as the young boy gapes like a fish out of water and speeds off into the other direction. He stands there sullenly for a moment before returning on to the train of his many thoughts. Today the conductor is Mr. O’Hare from Ireland and they are on their way to Soon shim town.
Lithe, tan fingers crawl over the sides of his face and pull at the milky skin on his cheeks. Jimin smiles and spins clumsily around to wrap his arms around his vanilla predator. “Taehyung!”
Taehyung laughs a deep rumble of thunder and squeezes Jimin’s small body frame, sniffing the comforting scent of damp, put-out fire. Faded ashes in the rain. Complicated, yes. Alluring, yes. Unforgettable, yes.
“I bought you a present, Jiminie.” Taehyung stands right in front of the face of the yellow blob up above, since he knows that Jimin doesn’t like looking at the entirety of the giant enemy. His lavender locks illuminated faintly by the light and framing his sharp features gracefully.
Jimin gulps, and for the first time ever dark patches of raspberry are tiptoeing up his neck. “R-really?”
The stutter’s a first, Taehyung takes note of separately in his internal catalogue as he holds something of classic-square gingerly in his long fingers. “Jiminie.” His fingers unfurl like a timid flower and inside is held a little, blue box resembling a cute blueberry. “Open it!”
Jimin seems tentative, yet still his rose heart is beating a steady tempo that thrums through his bones. His small fingers flicking the box open in utmost care. Jimin gasps at the sight of a flash of gold. Two gold rings sit patiently in the box, looking very much like small iridescent sparks of their own. Memories of the pretty sparks hit Jimin hard, and it reminds him of the first time he met Taehyung.
Taehyung stares adoringly at Jimin, since the black haired boy’s ebony eyes are frozen in a mix of wonderstruck and lightning struck. Jimin stares back with the same, if not more, amount of pure love.
“T-taehyung…” Jimin’s words are stuck in his throat and he can’t seem to utter the next phrase, as if a butterfly was caught in a spider web.
Taehyung does the honours. Sneaking out the gold rings and slipping one on his ring finger, since that’s the rumoured finger that you adorn with all your rings apparently. And sliding another onto the ring finger of Jimin’s, gently, albeit shakily because Jimin is shivering slightly in dizziness. Hasn’t he seen this moment before in a dream of his about purple-haired boys? It’s peculiarly familiar yet absolutely fresh.
And like a ring himself, Jimin glides into Taehyung’s open arms, as if propelled by gravity. It’s the first time that Jimin had the light-headed feeling of never letting go. It entirely goes against the philosophy of his favourite movie about snowman, but he’d rather stay snugly fit into Taehyung for the rest of his sands of time.
“T-taehyung…”
“Yes?”
“D’you want to marry me?” In Jimin’s mind marriage was the link that people took part in when they surely cared for each other and would remain a pair for as long as they breathed. It wasn’t wrong, just not exactly accurate in the simplicity.
The smile that follows is untainted.
“Sure.”
“Right now?”
“Why not.” Is the thoughtless answer that follows.
Jimin’s crescent smile was erupting from the seams of his thumping heart. He racked his brain for the words said at a wedding, trying to recall the vows his beloved aunt said a few months ago.
“I, Park Jimin, take you, Kim Taehyung, to be my everlasting partner, knowing that you will always remain beside me as a constant best friend and faithful, one true... L-love.”
Taehyung entwines his fingers with Jimin’s under the dimming sky, painted with rays of tangerine gold, pastel blue, and orchid pink, while honey streaks fall from the sky.
“Well, I, Kim Taehyung take you Jiminie, to be my partner, from this day forward. I give to you my unending devotion. I promise to be true to you, to cherish you, and to share my every hope with you.”
Jimin’s ebony eyes are glazed over with sugary adoration and the same wonderstruck awe as the beginning, staring wide-eyed at the pretty profile of Kim Taehyung basking in the light. Taehyung can’t stop taking in the perfect sight of his rose-coloured Jimin and his lovable antics. He grips his hand tighter around Jimin’s, loving the soft way that their flesh meshed with each other.
Taehyung questioned what string of fate led him to such a lovely novelty in the form of black locks, wide grins, and milky skin. “On this day, my hand is yours to hold, my heart forever yours to keep.” He speaks from the heart, the only single lie being the fact that it wouldn’t only be today.
This time, small droplets of blue form on the edges of Jimin’s eyes, his very soul feels incredibly heavy and a indigo emotion keeps welling up in his chest. It hurts, in the most deliciously exquisite way. He tests out a word on his salty tongue, wondering whether he should utter the words lingering in the back of his head.
He doesn’t have to think anymore, when Taehyung presses a maroon kiss to Jimin’s blue eyes, the reminiscent of empathetic tears forming on the eyelids and curling downwards to leave a trail of oceans and midnights.
I love you. Jimin doesn’t say it, but he writes it cursively onto Taehyung’s palm still grasped onto his own.
The strangest thing is that Taehyung understands the whole inaudible message and grins his rectangular smile. “I love you too, Jiminie.”
Jimin lets out a relieved sigh and closes the imperceptible gap between the two. His plush lips meet those of Taehyung’s. It’s a clumsy first kiss of teeth and misses, but all Jimin can think about is the pretty sparks shooting up from the flaming touch and dancing on their auras.
Except this time, Jimin swears he’s found something prettier than the sparks, shooting stars, Soon shim, and his own neighbour. It’s the prettiest thing he’s ever encountered, and it comes in a pair. Jimin + Taehyung = Love, he writes onto Taehyung’s clothed abdomen, who smiles through their soft kiss.
At only 18 years old, Park Jimin and Kim Taehyung are unofficially wedded. Till death do them part.
Seated on the bench in front of the bustling street, cars racing past like shades of dark colours streaming down a fast paced river. Jimin feels slightly nauseous looking at the cacophonic mess of transportation, not to mention the blue-filled people walking briskly past with brown rectangles on one hand and brown overcoats as well. It’s blue, brown, and messily red. Everything happens so fast in the city.
It’s nighttime, and Jimin is disturbingly bored, ready to fall asleep at any given moment. The sky is already washed out black, hints of holes popping through, and everyone seems to be heading home sweet home. Except for those young adults with night shifts
A black haired boy slides in beside Jimin, handing him a hot, cup of dark coffee.
“Thanks, Jungkook.” Jimin musters out, carefully eyeing the pretty guy seated comfortably on the right side of himself. Jungkook’s sharp eyes scour the street anxiously. Jimin’s fingers playing with the rim of the plastic cup.
“You waiting for Taehyung?”
Jimin tries not to look surprised at the sound of that constantly callous tone. “Yes.”
“I think I see him.”
Jimin’s dark eyes widen and he perceives his surroundings slowly, looking for a head of dull blonde.
“Where?”
Jungkook flicks his chin up into a random direction, and Jimin follows the movement. Tracing it back to indeed, a head of blonde hair and bright attire across the street. Is it sad that Jimin couldn’t contain his joyful squeal and instantaneous grin?
He watches as Taehyung leisurely crosses the street, swinging his green backpack around disinterestedly.
Jimin’s coffee cup spills onto the hard, cold floor, heart stopping fleetingly. Prickly, thorn-like feelings entrapping his soul. Why-
A flash of red light, a loud beep, and then a painful screech.
Jimin can’t dare breathe when a heavy, white truck comes out of nowhere and rams forcefully, yet with slight reluctance from the pushing of brakes, into pretty Kim Taehyung.
Everything stops for a moment, shocked spectators, momentarily blinded cars, and frail hearts.
1, 2, 3.
Taehyung jumps back up, literally, in a mere three seconds. Shifting the weight of his green backpack and gingerly standing up, totally unfazed. Face still disinterest, but now gleaming with secret delight. He walks forward as if nothing occurred, and everyone and everything is left horribly dumbstruck.
“Jiminie!” He brightly calls out, causing everyone to turn and stare at the said boy with tears stuck in his throat. Taehyung, the tall, tan, boy stands right before his black haired lover. “I’m here!”
Jimin barely takes in the way as if clockwork, the people start to shift around again, though still obviously fazed. Faces sheet-white pale as if they had seen a ghost. Well, they kind of did.
Jimin has no idea at all to either cry, or hit Taehyung for being a complete idiot. Instead, he pulls the blonde haired boy in for a tight hug. Taehyung kisses the head of Jimin’s forehead lovingly, tan fingers skimming Jimin’s jaw line.
“You okay?”
Taehyung turns, blocking the view from Jimin. Before him is the woozy, sickly pale truck driver, feeling entirely guilty and depressed, ready to accept all the burdens of the world onto his thin shoulders.
“Fuck, kid I’m so sorry. I’ll pay for all the damage! I’ve just been having a bad day, my mother just died and I’m breaking up with my boyfriend, and all this terrible shits been happening to me. I’m such a horrible person. I should just die already, like kid I’m really-“
“I’m fine.” Taehyung smiles his rectangular grin, brushing back his blonde hair behind his ear in a maiden-like notion.
“W-what?” The red haired truck driver looks distressed and confused.
“I said, I’m fine. It’s okay. I’m not hurt.” Taehyung smiles once more for reassurance.
“Y-you sure…?”
“Definitely.” He holds up his arm for a handshake. “I’m Taehyung!”
The truck driver, though still worried, clasps his hand with Taehyung’s. “Yoongi. Min Yoongi.”
“This is my husband Jiminie, and this is his neighbour Jungkook!”
Yoongi seems utterly speechless. “O-okay.” Red rimmed eyes wide as he takes in the grinning Taehyung, bitter Jimin, and neutral Jungkook.
“Y-you sure you’re okay….?” Yoongi gulps nervously when Taehyung’s husband glares at him darkly from behind the tall figure, cherub-like features turning menacingly discontent.
Jungkook gets up abruptly, gliding towards Yoongi.
“Look, they’re always like that. Strange. You’ll have to get used to it. I know I did.” Jungkook whispers to the red haired male.
Strange. Indeed, Yoongi thinks as Taehyung picks up a flyer calmly.
“Hmm, want to adopt Jiminie?”
Even stranger is the fact that Jimin says yes without any doubt, all while trying to slip back the soiled coffee on the ground into his cup before the little warriors come and take it, or so he states.
Yup, undeniably strange, Yoongi thinks.
The day is bashfully pink, and two boys sit on the dusty sand. Staring aimlessly at the deep blue in front of them, calmly waving towards them as if saying hello. It’s vast, it’s poetic. It’s pretty, Jimin unconsciously thinks.
“Isn’t it lovely?”
Jimin rests his head on the crook of Taehyung’s shoulder. Hands tightly squeezing each other, a notion of never letting go. Their golden rings glinting lavender and fuchsia in the rays of the big, round blob rising steadily up from under the blue ocean.
“Yes. But not as lovely as you.”
Taehyung laughs out loud, crisp and clear in the early morning. “You always say the same thing, Jiminie.”
Jimin’s eyes traces the supple sculpt of the boy’s tan face beside him, swearing that he just saw a vision from god. “That’s because it’s true.”
An image unfolds in his mind, of the numbers 25 printed brightly on a banner, a dark brown-haired male smiling and a group of unique, unknown people chanting loudly with presents and cakes in hand.
Jimin smiles delicately, choosing to remember that piece of information for later on. Or perhaps not that much later on, since he’s currently only 24 years old.
Taehyung’s honey eyes shift beautifully, capturing the prism of light hitting the swirling waves, an emotion of subtle curiosity and serenity.
“Jiminie…”
Jimin likes his name whispered in that tempting red-velvet tone.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Jimin presses himself onto Taehyung’s warm chest, listening to the sounds of their beating hearts in synch. The silence doesn’t last long.
“Daddy! Soon shim’s going crazy! Help!”
A kid with a tuft of black hair and baby hands holding desperately onto a white-furred dog that is ecstatically jumping around and pulling along the poor child.
Taehyung grins his rectangular grin but makes no move to save their little boy, Serean. Jimin blows back his ebony locks and hurriedly grabs the leash, love written on his milky features towards their adopted son.
Serean groans and flops down beside Taehyung, bright blue eyes staring at his two fathers expectantly.
“You should have kissed him.” Serean states, referring to Jimin.
“I know, right.” Taehyung ruffles the child’s dark hair, reveling at the soft touch, since it was only soft because of their shared magic-working shampoo.
Serean grins a gummy smile, being his own competitor in the battle between rectangular grins and crescent smiles.
“Yesterday, there was this kid in my spot at recess. He’s weird.”
“Oh, really.” Taehyung’s gears turning deviously with splatters of destiny and fate running around his head. “I bet you like him.”
Serean gasps in horror. “What?! No! He’s like an alien. And his name is Hojoon, after his parents which is super, super weird!”
“Aww, does Serean have a crush…” Taehyung teases, enjoyment obvious in his features. He happily skips away when their child groans out loud and starts to chase his father.
“No, no, no, no, no, and no thank you!”
Taehyung laughs, recalling his first meeting with the love of his life.
Jimin stares at the two kids in confusion as the dog jumps excitedly around. Strange, he thinks, but then gets distracted by a small dandelion floating on the tendrils of the air. He chases the little white tuft, with the dog accompanying his cute adventure.
Serean stops briefly, staring at his ebony haired father looking quite like a sweet child in the streets.
“Jimin is strange.”
Taehyung slides up behind him. “True.”
“But so are you, too.”
“Also true.”
It’s no true surprise when Jimin comes home on the 13th of October. The twinkling whispers flitting around his precious aura, sensing his beloved nearby. His heart quickens hopefully.
The lights are all dimmed when he shuffles in, and a sly, knowing smile on his milky face is evident. But he wouldn’t want to ruin the fun, especially not with all the effort put in by his pretty Taehyung. He flicks on the lights without a second thought, ready to prepare his mock astonishment.
“Happy birthday! Jiminie!” Taehyung exclaims lovingly, jumping out from behind the couch, followed by a few other grinning men. Their closest friends, which are few, but close-knitted nonetheless.
Jimin smiles, honestly and wholeheartedly, eyes curving up into captivating crescents. He snuggles right into Taehyung, already loving the vanilla scent and lean body against his own. They share a quick butterfly kiss before Taehyung sneaks off to the kitchen.
Serean attaches himself to Jimin’s leg. “Happy birthday, Jiminie.” His voice is muffled on the fabric of his dark pants, blushing face obscured. Jimin lifts his favourite boy up and dramatically kisses his cheek, who in turn cringes.
“Daddy!” Jimin laughs in response at his little boy’s ballet shoe pink face.
Another little boy giggles and pokes Serean’s cheek affectionately beside him, hair dyed a vibrant rainbow of pale pinks and shy blues. “Serean, you’re blushing. Cute.”
Serean frowns at the action of Hojoon, thoroughly flustered. “I am not…” He mutters to no one in particular.
A clap at Jimin’s shoulder makes him tear his eyes away from the blossoms of the flower-like love beneath him. Namjoon’s dimpled grin hits him, and close beside him is his nimble husband Hoseok who looks absolutely thrilled to be alive. “Happy birthday, my little man.”
“Happy birthday Jimin! You’re finally twenty-five!” Hoseok excitedly chips in, handing the birthday boy a gift wrapped in yellow and purple polka dots shifting in the light.
“Thanks’, guys.”
Namjoon shrugs, twirling his blonde hair nonchalantly. “It’s the least we co-“
“Jimin!!!!!!” Seokjin pushes right through the couple, pulling Jimin in for a bear hug. Jimin laughs into the boy’s pink sweater, taking in the heartening rose-like scent. The elder adoringly squishes Jimin’s fluffy cheeks. “You’re so cute!”
“Rude, much. Seokjin,” Namjoon sighs, tutting lightly. Hoseok grabs his boyfriends hand warmly, in a means to distract him from another clash with the wonderful Kim Seokjin. It works, thankfully, since those two fight like black crows fighting for the last piece of cracker.
“I can’t believe my baby is growing so big!” Seokjin coos, squeezing Jimin’s button nose.
“You mean Taehyung’s baby?” Yoongi’s sharp voice eases in, tone full of humour. Jimin grins appreciatively at the red haired boy, who had gone to become one of Taehyung’s best friends in life after Park Jimin and Jung Hoseok.
Seokjin puts his arms around Jimin, tightly. “Nuh-uh. He’s my baby. Taehyung can’t take him away.”
Yoongi laughs and smiles gummily, at the sight of Jimin struggling to fight off Seokjin’s smooches and embrace.
The door to the kitchen slam open, and in comes dark haired Jungkook holding the reputable, chocolate cheesecake. Taehyung trailing behind him with a small match and a blissful smile, honey eyes luring in Jimin’s conscience.
“Happy birthday.” Jungkook says, a small bunny smile matched with his ever dark eyes. Jimin kisses his fingers and presses them onto Jungkook’s cheek, a little, friendly habit between the two.
Jungkook places the chocolate cake onto the glass, coffee table, while Taehyung immediately sets to lighting up the spiralled candles. Seeming to have placed a large amount of precisely 25 candles onto the timid cake.
“What will you wish for?” Serean asks his father, child-like innocence showing through his steel armour.
Jimin brings a finger to his lips, I’ll never tell, is seems to say.
Taehyung sensibly finishes off the last candle with a magenta flame, and urges Jimin to come close.
“What will you wish for?” Taehyung asks, with a small Serean smacking his head in the background.
Jimin whispers into his ear. Soft, lovely words and spoken promises slipping out of his mouth. He grins at the sight of Taehyung blushing, and hastily blows out all the magenta flames.
At midnight, Jimin and Taehyung are left all alone in their humble abode. Partly because it’s getting late and partly because no one really had the appetite to see the strange couple snuggle in front of them.
Serean had gone over for a sleepover at Hojoon’s place, initially reluctantly, but Taehyung saw the way the corners of his lips lifted.
In fact, it was probably for the better that they all left, based on the way that the tender Taehyung is placing feathery kisses on to Jimin’s soft face.
“Taehyung,” Jimin giggles, “It tickles!”
Taehyung presses one last sentimental kiss to Jimin’s plush lips, lifts this beloved in to his arms and carries him bridal-style to their white window. He himself sits down on the relaxing arm-chair, and Jimin snuggles into his lap. The dark browns locks of Taehyung tickling Jimin with every sweet nuzzle into his vanilla-scented neck.
“Look outside, Jiminie.”
He does; crescent eyes searching the quaint scene of domino-like towers and square buildings.
Boom.
One, beautiful red-purple spark for the beginning, igniting on the black canvas like a palate of enchanting berry. They continue shooting gracefully up above after that; the hearts of dashing blue, lustrous red, and wheat yellow sparks soaring higher on every part of the washed out canvas, filling it with utmost colour and adoration. The sparks spirited rays of pulsating kaleidoscopic flitting to the bottom of their streaming pages, like storybook princess dancing in the moonlight. Erupting in absolute glory, with their hopes tied to their fate and running towards their own Never land.
Beautiful. Yes.
But even more beautiful in Jimin’s crescent eyes is the sparks reflected in Taehyung’s honey orbs, flashing with gentle brush strokes of dancing flames and flashes. The way Taehyung’s grinning his infectious rectangular grin, the way his sharp, petite, striking features seem to be on stand-still from amazement. The way he looks right back at his lovely Jimin, a masterpiece beyond any he’s ever seen or will ever see.
“It’s not pretty at all.” Jimin states, somewhat mischievous yet also utterly heartwarming.
Taehyung’s honey eyes blink. Before a delighted smile paints itself across his features.
“Why, not?”
“Because you’re the prettiest thing to ever tumble out of heaven.”
“Wrong.” Taehyung says dotingly, pulling Jimin’s shocked face mere inches from his own. Their noses brushing adorably.
“You, Park Jimin, are the prettiest thing ever actually.”
Jimin smiles his crescent smile, despite the blue that wells up in his ebony eyes. Taehyung swiftly presses two loving kisses rich with pure, unbridled emotion onto Jimin’s teary eyes.
“With you Kim Taehyung, reality is finally better than my dreams…I love you.”
Taehyung’s runs his tan, long fingers into thick, black locks of hair. “I love you more than love, Park Jimin. Till death do us part; actually even after death you’ll be in my heart.”
Jimin wraps himself snugly into Taehyung’s hard chest, radiating the heat that he craved for desperately, the warmth only Taehyung could provide. It settled the flames burning in his chest and blues dripping out of his eyes. Head resting on Taehyung’s shoulder, he lifted his white fingers to enwrap around Taehyung’s.
“Promise?”
A kiss of thumbs and a link of pinkies. Everyone knows that you can’t break a promise. But either way, they would love each other forever and ever, even without a golden promise.
“I promise.”
Serendipity at its finest.