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There’s a forest at the edge of Taehyung’s town.
During the summer solstice, Taehyung makes his way to the forest at the first touch of light. He’s been doing that since he was just a little child. Because when summer awakens within the forest, his heart does too.
Early in the morning, the melodies of the singing birds follow Taehyung. He could make it through the thick vegetation with his eyes closed. It’s a familiar path past the moss-covered trees, high grass, and the flowers whose petals have not opened yet—just waiting for the sun to finally reach the ground.
Dew is still pearling everywhere, sparkling brightly in carefully constructed spiderwebs that Taehyung avoids easily. Most people are still asleep now but not him. Not today. The sun had barely peered above the horizon when Taehyung had already been dressed to go.
His steps are nothing more than dull thuds, muted by the forest around him. There’s a smile teasing at his lips, pushing up his rosy cheeks and in his ears, the fast rhythm of his heartbeat throbs. Excitement buzzes underneath his skin.
It’s finally time. Time for the longest and best days of the year to start. Time for Taehyung to stop being alone.
He follows the trickling of a small stream burrowing its way through the grass until the trees start to thin out. They open up to a small lake sitting beneath the first rays of the sun. A thin sheen of fog is still covering the water lilies spread over parts of it like a woven carpet.
The sun outlines the silhouette of a weeping willow standing gracefully at the waterside—it feels magical. Rich, green leaves sprout on the long branches that dip their tips into the lake. A slight breeze creates ripples on the surface of the lake, the small waves chasing each other until they disappear. Taehyung carefully makes his way through the grass and the many dandelions until he can push the branches of the willow to the side and softly place his fingertips on the rough texture of its bark.
Facing the lake, the branches of the willow open up to show the surface of the lake. It looks like something straight out of a fairytale.
Taehyung settles against the tree, letting his head fall back as he closes his eyes.
“Wake up soon,” he whispers.
Every year he’s here with the rise of the sun and waits for hours until the bark behind him starts to shift. A part of him fears that the day would come when he might not be here in time but so far it has never happened.
Yoongi seems to like making him wait.
But it’s fine. Taehyung has been waiting for months already, a few more hours wouldn’t hurt. And he’d rather be the one waiting instead of letting Yoongi wake up alone.
As time passes, the sun rises higher and higher in the sky. The air around him turns warm, the golden light caressing his skin as the sheen of fog lifts. His fingers brush the soft grass, catching on the dandelions that grow in between.
He’s picking those that are already wearing their white, fluffy crown of seeds and blowing them into the wind when it finally starts. He can feel it against his back, hears the creaking of wood as Yoongi awakens. His heart starts to race in anticipation, nervous sweat building up at the back of his neck.
Suddenly, a pair of cold hands cover his eyes.
“Oh no,” he pretends to gasp, holding back a chuckle, “Who could that be?”
A melodic giggle tickles the side of his ear. Taehyung’s heart soars and he almost cannot hold himself back from turning around and embracing the man behind him.
“An evil spirit trying to haunt you.”
Taehyung grabs Yoongi’s hands and pulls them off his eyes. “You could never be evil,” he laughs, tilting his head back and their eyes meet. It’s been too many months.
Warmth spreads through Taehyung’s chest—he can feel it painting his cheeks red and pulling at his lips so much that his smile hurts from how wide it is. A million butterflies are trapped in the pit of his stomach—as if it’s the first time he’s seeing Yoongi.
Somehow, it’s true after all he had for the past months was this tree.
Yoongi is mirroring his expression, eyes crinkling from his large smile. Every year Taehyung is overwhelmed by Yoongi’s beauty when they reunite. The warm, brown color of his hair that almost seems golden under the sun, pale skin with a few spots of moss growing here and there—remains of his tree.
And on top of his head, as if he plucked them straight from the night sky, a wreath of tiny stars sparkling brightly.
But what Taehyung loves the most is his soft smile. The one that melts his heart.
He takes a deep breath, trying to blow all the white seeds off the dandelion he’s still holding in one go. They scatter into the wind and he closes his eyes to make a wish.
“What are you doing?” Yoongi asks, his cold fingers tracing Taehyung’s eyelids.
“Wishing on a dandelion. Legend says that if you manage to blow it all away in one breath you get to make a wish.”
“What did you wish for?” Yoongi asks, reaching for a different dandelion and looking at it with fascination in his eyes.
Taehyung’s heart races, the butterflies in his stomach threatening to come up and spill over his lips. “That you’d be mine…” His voice is nothing but a whisper and as soon as the words are out, he feels a bit silly. Silly for still being so head over heels in love even after all these years that he’s already known Yoongi.
But as Yoongi’s cheeks light up in a beautiful blush, Taehyung doesn’t think it is silly anymore.
“That’s a stupid wish. I’m already yours, aren’t I?” He’s avoiding his eyes as he says it, quickly blowing the seeds of his dandelion. “I made a better one.”
Gently, Taehyung brushes a strand of hair out of Yoongi’s face. He’s still refusing to meet his eyes.
“Tell me.”
For a moment, Yoongi pretends to think about it but he just pulls Taehyung’s face closer to leave a peck on the tip of his nose. Taehyung knows it’s right where his mole is—Yoongi loves his mole.
“It’s a secret,” he laughs.
Taehyung’s cheeks hurt from smiling so wide.
“That’s not fair,” Taehyung pouts. He plucks another dandelion and blows with all his might but one seed remains stuck. He swiftly flicks it away, closing his eyes as if to make a wish but Yoongi snatches the stem of the flower from his hands immediately.
“That one doesn’t count!” He exclaims.
Taehyung peeks at him from one eye. “But my wish was to kiss you…”
Instantly, Yoongi’s face changes and he’s glancing away again. His cheeks are dusted red. “Well… then, I guess it can count,” he mumbles, clearly embarrassed.
He lets himself be pulled closer by Taehyung’s hands, melting into the kiss. Beneath his fingertips, Taehyung can feel how Yoongi’s heart is racing but it’s the same for him.
They kiss for a long time, making up for the past few months. Finally, Taehyung’s heart beats in sync with someone else’s. Finally, he feels at home again.
Taehyung spends all his free time in the forest from that day onwards.
These are the months he’s looked forward to for the rest of the year. These warm summer days where he sits with Yoongi at the edge of the lake, their feet dangling over the water. When their hands never seem to let go of each other and their voices echo until deep into the night.
Only during these times does he feel whole. Alive. With Yoongi by his side, the world slows down, just for them to be together for a moment longer.
It’s as if all the time of separation suddenly disappears from their minds because being together now makes up for every single day that they’re apart.
But time doesn’t stay still. Summer is coming to an end.
Taehyung knows it does—the blazing heat from the weeks before has calmed down and the golden light of the sun doesn’t burn his skin anymore. It wouldn’t take long for the air to become colder, for the trees to grow tired of holding onto their leaves. Soon, when autumn fades into winter, it would be time for them to say goodbye.
Raindrops softly pearl down the branches and leaves of the weeping willow which keeps them dry. The sparse sun reflects off the lake and somewhere above them a beautiful rainbow must be painting the sky.
Fingers brush against his hand and he welcomes them as if they’ve never done anything else.
Taehyung’s heart hurts. “I’ll miss you…”
The grip on his hand tightens.
“The seasons haven’t even changed yet…”
Taehyung just sighs. He drops his head against Yoongi’s shoulder, breathing in the scent of rain that’s coming off him.
“I know…So, why am I already missing you?”
Taehyung can’t see it but he feels Yoongi smile, hears the chuckle in his chest as he pulls their hands up to his mouth to leave a feathery kiss on his knuckles. “Please don’t,” Yoongi chuckles and gets up, pulling Taehyung with him, “You have so many weeks ahead of you where you can miss me. But until then, you’re not allowed to.”
Warmth fills Taehyung’s chest, his lips curl up into a smile. Oh, how he loves Yoongi.
He loves him so much. So, so much.
Summer is still here, even if it’s hanging by a thread. For now, he doesn’t have to miss Yoongi at all. For now, it’s fine to just love him and not think about anything else.
Yoongi holds onto his hands, pulling him under the warm summer rain. The feathery touches of the raindrops tickle all over Taehyung’s skin, they soak through his clothes quickly but he doesn’t pay any mind to it.
His attention belongs only to Yoongi.
The small stars in Yoongi’s hair glow brighter than usual—he’s happy. There’s a wide smile on his lips that makes his eyes crinkle cutely and he’s pulling Taehyung along as laughter spills from his lips.
Under the warm spray of the summer rain, they dance with their naked feet on the wet grass, and it feels as if the world solely exists for them and for no one or nothing else. This is where they’re at home, where their hearts are at peace.
Autumn fades into winter and the day to say goodbye arrives like it does every year.
It’s just a few months. But no matter how often they stand there, they will never get used to parting.
“I hope I will dream of you,” Yoongi whispers, tightly holding onto Taehyung’s hands. The first snow of the year is starting to cover the ground. Small, soft snowflakes swirl around, dancing their own little dance.
“I know you will.” And they both know that isn’t a lie. “I’ll make sure of it.”
Yoongi leans his forehead against Taehyung’s shoulder, hiding the tears swimming in his eyes. Why do goodbyes have to be so hard every time?
As he speaks, his voice is muffled against Taehyung’s thick coat. “Isn’t it boring to visit my tree all alone every time?”
Gently, Taehyung brushes his fingers through Yoongi’s hair, mindful of the wreath of stars whose light has dimmed since the winter solstice has been drawing closer. “Not at all. I know you’re there even if you can’t answer and that’s enough for me. You’re my heart. My home.”
Yoongi pulls back and there’s a small, wobbling smile on his lips. Slowly, to savor the moment, Taehyung presses their lips together, wishing he’d never have to pull away.
“I love you so much,” Yoongi presses the words against his lips, fists clenched into the front of Taehyung’s coat, “I can’t wait to wake up again.”
His lips feel as if they’re frozen when he pulls away. This time he could see the shimmer in Yoongi’s eyes and he swallows the knot in his throat. He couldn’t cry—he wouldn’t.
“Neither can I.” Taehyung kisses the tip of Yoongi’s frozen, red nose while brushing his thumbs over his cheeks. “I love you too.”
One last time—one last kiss that carries the weight of their hearts and then it’s goodbye.
“Have a good sleep…”
They smile at each other one last time and then Taehyung turns around. He stands there, watching the snowflakes grow bigger as the world slowly loses every last bit of color. A sheen of white starting to cover everything.
When the creaking of the wood fades into silence, he steps in front of the tree. It looks normal. Like every other tree and like every time, Taehyung can’t quite believe that Yoongi is in there now. A part of the tree.
He presses his fingers into the bark.
“Goodnight, my love.”
Taehyung keeps his promise just like he does every year.
He comes to visit Yoongi as much as possible. Even when there’s ice covering the lake and thick snow crunches beneath his feet. It might be cold but he sits down and talks about his day, about how beautifully the snowflakes are dancing in the air.
He only makes his way back to the city as the sky turns darker, leaving behind two small snowmen sitting at the foot of the weeping willow looking over the frozen lake.
Somehow, these months without Yoongi always seem to pass so slowly.
But eventually, the seasons change and the snow melts as the first wave of spring makes its way through the forest. It’s breathing color back into the world and Taehyung feels a bit lighter again. When spring is here, summer won’t be far away.
One day, as he comes to see Yoongi’s tree, he hears a flutter of wings above him. There’s a nest. This is the first time he’s seen one in Yoongi’s tree and his heart thumps in excitement as he thinks about how happy Yoongi would be to know that he’s carrying birds for the first time.
As the flowers start to bloom, Taehyung isn’t alone anymore.
There are babies in the nest. Four of them and their chatter keeps Taehyung company as he tells Yoongi one story after the other. He knows his words will reach Yoongi in his dreams.
And then after these long months of only talking to himself, the day of the summer solstice finally arrives again. Just like every year.
There’s a forest at the edge of the town where Taehyung lives.
And when the summer solstice rolls around, the people can see him excitedly running towards the woods as soon as the first light of day touches the ground.
Because in that forest, Taehyung’s heart is beating.
In that forest is his home.