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Woah. Woah woah woah. What…was happening? Why was Beomgyu suddenly so tiny? He stared at himself in the mirror with wide eyes, body strangely aglow and the outline of transparent wings stretching out from his back.
How did he get here? He thought back to the past couple days, to how this situation could have possibly started. It all started with Taehyun.
💙
Taehyun was having a rough time. Beomgyu could see it plain as day; the others could too. Blame it on their years-long bond with each other, but since they were so fine-tuned with each other so well, they could immediately tell when someone was feeling off or down.
Taehyun was getting a lot of hate online from anti’s because of his new show on Youtube. Taehyun pretended like it didn’t bother him, but the others knew better than that. He put so much time and effort into the series of videos; it really hurt when they said they didn’t enjoy it.
That incident made Taehyun feel really small . Less confident. It hurt the others to watch from the sidelines, especially Soobin. Call it his ‘natural leadership instincts,’ but he really just cared about his members a little too much. So, after Taehyun got chewed out by some of the staff for flubbing a scene for their new concept trailer (which Soobin could endlessly argue that it wasn’t even that important anyway), he went to talk with the younger boy without the others.
“Taehyun-ah, I’m worried about you. You’ve been off, almost everyone can tell. I know what you’re going through is tough…but we’re here for you, Taehyun. We want to help you. Can you please just tell me what’s wrong?”
Taehyun’s eyebrows silently furrowed as he looked to the floor. His fists silently clenched as he bit his lip.
“What do you know, hyung?! You don’t even know what it’s like to have your own show receive so little praise! You’ve never even gotten a show! Just leave me alone for gods sake!” He snapped at the older, harsh tone in his words as his anger boiled up in his stomach.
Soobin scoffed, immediately getting defensive as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“I was just trying to help! Jeez, you didn’t have to be so harsh about it!”
He walked away with a bitter expression on his face, sitting back down next to the others soon after. They all silently looked at each other with worried expressions on their faces, figuring Soobin’s talk with the younger didn’t go so well considering the way he walked back into the studio. Taehyun soon trailed back into the studio silently, Beomgyu not failing to notice the light tear streaks running down his cheeks.
💙
Taehyun soon stopped eating meals with them after that incident. As far as Beomgyu was concerned, Soobin and Taehyun weren’t on speaking terms again either. Even if he did notice how Soobin regretfully looked at Taehyun when he walked out of his room in the morning. Beomgyu wished he could do something. As Taehyun’s best friend, it was one of the most painful things he could ever witness. Yet, he still tried, even if he knew it wouldn’t do much.
He heard the younger boy crying into his pillow softly, heart clenching in response. He thought back to his talk with Soobin after the two came back from the company.
“How did it go? Were you able to talk with him?” Beomgyu tilted his head with a hopeful tone in his voice.
“No…he basically ignored me the whole time. And…he kept messing up at vocal practice. I think his voice was really raw and dried out, from what I could hear. I tried to comfort him but he pushed me away.” Soobin pouted as he spoke, a painful tone in his words.
Beomgyu slightly grimaced, turning towards Taehyun’s door silently as Soobin retreated to his room.
He knocked on Taehyun’s door softly, with a somewhat nervous expression on his face.
“Go away.” Taehyun’s muffled voice came from behind the door, making Beomgyu grimace silently.
“Can we just talk for a minute, Taehyun-ah?” Beomgyu pleaded with the younger, desperate tone in his voice. Silence settled behind the door for a minute or two, before Taehyun hesitantly opened the door. Beomgyu looked at the boy, Taehyun, not locking eyes with the older at all.
“Can I…come in?” He peered into the dark room behind the boy, Taehyun pushing the door closer to his body in response.
“I’d prefer it if you didn’t.” The younger one responded, Beomgyu nodding silently in response.
“Well…I just wanted to say something. I…I know I can’t relate to how you’re feeling right now. However, I have felt like how you’re feeling. Tired, anxious… scared. But…that’s one of the good things about being in a group. You have someone to talk to. We’re all here…all you have to do is recognize that and take the step forward. I know its scary…but when I shared how I felt with Soobin-hyung during Run Away era, it felt like a huge weight off my shoulders. So just…talk. With any of us. We’ll always be willing to listen. Especially…me.” Beomgyu grabbed Taehyun’s hand softly as his cheeks turned pink, an emotional tone in his words. His heart beat in his ears deeply as heat rose through his lungs and chest, settling themselves in his throat. It took everything in him to not kiss the boy on the lips and tell him how amazing he thought he was. His hand jumped out of Taehyun’s grasp, rubbing on his pink-tinted cheeks shyly.
“So…yeah. Just…try your best to talk. I’ll always be here.” Beomgyu concluded, not looking at Taehyun at all. He hesitantly left the space in front of Taehyun’s room, silently retreating back to his room.
When he returned, he noticed an unfamiliar note on his pillow. He slightly tilted his head, walking over to it before picking the note up and reading it.
Your work is beginning. Your task is to make him feel happier, no matter what. From tomorrow you will have to find ways to cheer him up and make your human feel better.
He assumed the note was talking about Taehyun. He scoffed, slightly laughing as he threw the note to the side, figuring one of them was playing a joke on him since they knew of his affection for the boy.
And with that, he plopped down on his bed and closed his eyes silently, soon drifting off to sleep.
🩵
And now, he looked like this. What could have possibly happened between last night and this morning to make him so tiny? All he knew was he was tiny and he had no idea how to get big again. He moved from the top of his pillow to the other side of his room, staring at himself in the mirror with an incredulous expression on his face. He soon noticed the note he threw to the side, walking over to it and reading it carefully once more, noticing something he didn’t notice before.
Your transformation will end the day everything is resolved. For now, try to make Taehyun happy again.
EHHHHH? No, seriously, what was going on? Beomgyu was so confused. But, he supposed it wouldn’t hurt to cheer Taehyun up. Even in this newfound form Beomgyu found himself in. So, he looked back to his bed silently, formulating a plan to make it look like he was sick in his bed. He ran over to his bed, seeming like it was a million feet away now suddenly. When he finally arrived, he tried jumping up, suddenly floating in the air. He looked behind him, to see the wings attached to his back fluttering rapidly. His eyebrows furrowed silently before shaking his head, deciding to worry about himself later. He rapidly moved under his covers, dragging his pillow underneath his blanket and pushing it to the end of the bed. He sighed, catching his breath before moving his other pillow under the covers as well, making it look like the general lump of a body. He pulled his blanket up to the bed frame, tucking it so it wouldn’t be obvious his pillows were missing.
He sighed out heavily, flying off of his bed before looking at the lump on his bed, trusting himself it was in the general shape of a body. He soon walked to his door, still trying to get his feel for flying as he moved up to his door handle. He twisted it open slowly, sudden struggle causing sweat to break out on his skin. After he finally opened it (after what felt like a gazillion light years to Beomgyu), he left a crack open before looking at Taehyun’s door. He slightly sighed out of his nose, gathering his confidence before walking to Taehyun’s door silently. He thought about knocking before ultimately shaking his head, figuring the younger might not hear.
He slowly twisted his door handle, Beomgyu flexing his arms as the door fully opened, pushing it open with a slight shove. Taehyun silently looked to his door, setting his phone on his bedside table and looking up with a defensive expression on his face. Just like a cat protecting its territory, Beomgyu thought, slightly smiling. He stared at the door confusedly for a minute, probably completely missing Beomgyu’s small stature. Beomgyu walked over to his bedside table, flying up next to his bed and calling out his name.
“Taehyunie!! Taehyunie!!”
Taehyun whipped his head around to his bedside table with a bewildered expression on his face. He gazed down at the slightly glowing figure on his bedside table, soon making out Beomgyu’s tiny figure.
“Beomgyu-hyung?” He spoke with the most wondrous tone in his voice, eyes wide with surprise.
“Yeah, it’s me. Don’t ask me how this happened because I really don’t know. I thought if anyone might know what happened…it might’ve been you.”
“You’re so…tiny. And…you have wings. I don’t know, hyung! How does someone just…magically turn into a tiny fairy-like thing!”
“A…fairy?”
Beomgyu thought back to a storybook his mom read to him when he was a child.
“And then, the fairy’s wings glowed as she showed them to the human, restoring them back to their former state through magic. And they both lived happily ever after. The end.” His mother closed the storybook, a smile on her face as a six-year-old Beomgyu yawned.
“That’s so silly…fairies can’t really exist…right mom?” He sleepily spoke, soft tone laced in his words.
“Hm? I wouldn’t be so sure of that, Beomgyu. The world is a magical place. What if someone you loved was a fairy? Like me, or even your brother? Maybe even your dad . ”
“No…dad’s too rough and clumsy to be a fairy. But…I guess if you guys ever turned into fairies I would accept it then.”
“Well…either way, you’re my little fairy. Now, it’s time for bed. See you in the morning, my little fairy~”
Beomgyu’s mom used that nickname on him a lot. He thought it was just a cute pet name that she liked to call him. But now, he was starting to doubt that. Now he was starting to wonder if his mom or dad knew more about this predicament he was in.
Suddenly, a knock is heard on Taehyun’s door, and the younger is scrambling to hide Beomgyu somehow. He forcefully grabbed the older man, hiding him behind his back before going to open his door.
“Mm?” Taehyun opened his door to be met with Soobin’s tired eyes, defensive tone in his voice.
“Um…I just wanted to see if you were up since we have vocal practice together.” Soobin spoke nervously, Beomgyu noticed it easily despite not seeing the older man.
“Yeah. I’m almost ready.”
“Okay. Um…also Taehyun. I just wanted to say…I’m sorry for that day. I shouldn’t have gotten defensive like that…you didn’t want my help. So, I’m sorry.”
Taehyun slightly flinched, jolting Beomgyu in his hand as his palms started becoming clammy.
“Uh…yeah. Likewise. I’m…sorry I snapped at you like that.”
And with that, Soobin nodded and smiled at Taehyun, soon leaving his door frame. Taehyun closed his door and sighed out, grip lessening on Beomgyu’s small figure ever so slightly.
“Well…I’m glad you made up with Soobin-hyung. He was really worried about you, you know.” Beomgyu smiled at Taehyun as he still held him in his fist.
“Whatever. He shouldn’t have butted in anyway, I’m fine.” Taehyun defensively spoke, letting go of Beomgyu as the latter started flying. Beomgyu rolled his eyes, Taehyun’s pride would be the death of him one day.
“Whatever you say. I’m going back to my room to check on something.” Beomgyu flittered to Taehyun’s door, before it suddenly burst open again, Soobin peeking his head in as Beomgyu immediately flew out of his vision.
“Ah, have you seen Beomgyu? He’s not in his room.”
“I think I saw him leaving early this morning. Something about…talking with manager-hyung?” Taehyun came up with an excuse on the spot, quick nature making Beomgyu relax.
“Oh…okay then. Lemme know when you wanna get going.”
“Okay, let me get changed real quick.”
And with that, Soobin left once again.
Taehyun turned to Beomgyu, the older floating in the air as his wings flittered rapidly once more.
“I have to go to practice, hyung. Um…I don’t know what’s wrong with you but I hope it’s fixed…soon.”
Beomgyu sighed out, nodding before flying out of Taehyun’s room, back through the small crack of his door. He immediately flew to the corner of his room, opening a basket of his old childhood belongings he always kept with him. He pulled out the old storybook his mom read to him every night when he was a child, The Fairy Who Almost Lost Her Wings. He flipped through the pages slowly, quickly skimming them before reaching the end of the book. He slightly flinched, noticing a tiny note from his mom in the corner of the back of the book.
Beomgyu, I’m sorry for lying to you. But I tried my best to protect you from this world as long as I could. Your father and I were born from fairy lineage, which means you and your brother also have that lineage in you. If you see this, it means you couldn’t escape it and for that I’m sorry. Your father and I tried to separate you and your brother from this world as much as we could, but we still failed in the end. We’re sorry, and we love you so much.
“Wow…so mom and dad really do know more about this whole situation. I never would’ve guessed.”
Beomgyu closed the book and set it back in the basket, before sighing out heavily.
🩵
Beomgyu didn’t necessarily have a plan to make Taehyun happier, he was more the type to wing it and make it up as he went. So, when he started to think of tactics to make Taehyun his usually bright self once more, he found himself wavering. He frankly didn’t know where to start. He guessed it wouldn’t hurt to start building up his confidence once more.
So, Beomgyu got to work.
How?
The best he could think of was to write a letter. So, he did. How? Beomgyu couldn’t tell you. All he knew was that he was sweating heavily by the time he finished.
He looked at it for a minute. Then, his cheeks reddened deeply. So, he flew to the furthest corner of his room and hid it where no one else would find it.
No way I can give this to Taehyun. What would he think? Especially while I’m like this. He would definitely reject me. How could he love me when I look like this? Yeah, no way can I give it to him. Not in a million years.
So, Beomgyu pivoted from a heartfelt letter. His next tactic? Sticky notes. He read online somewhere that sticking sticky notes over your apartment could help your partner with anxiety, especially if your love language is words of affirmation. Beomgyu couldn’t get the thought out of his mind. But, he chose not to think about that and write the sticky notes in good nature.
No one can define your self-worth.
When Taehyun came back from vocal practice, the sticky note was taped to his door. His eyebrows silently furrowed, tearing the sticky note off lightly from the door and reading it silently. He lightly pursed his lips before opening his door and setting the note on his desk. He looked at it once more, before smiling silently and relaxing.
“Thanks, Beomgyu-hyung.”
🩵
Another note showed up on Taehyun’s door the next day. And the day after that, and the day after that. It became a regular thing for Taehyun. The notes made him feel lighter with each passing day. He started smiling more regularly and interacting with everyone else regularly again.
As for Beomgyu’s situation, he didn’t change. After two days of not seeing Beomgyu, Soobin started to get suspicious.
“Beomgyu? Are you in there? Beomgyu, I need to talk to you.” Soobin knocked on Beomgyu’s door with a serious expression on his face, a worried tone in his voice.
Beomgyu panicked, looking around silently for a place to hide. When Soobin didn’t hear a reply from the younger, he opened his door, looking around his room silently. He walked forward, looking around with a somewhat confused expression on his face. When he hears a bell ringing, he freezes, head bobbing around the room. Finally, he looked down to the floor when he heard the bell once more, eyes widening as he locked eyes on Beomgyu’s small figure.
“Beomgyu?” He questioned, bending down to the ground as he looked at the younger man.
Beomgyu nodded somewhat embarrassedly, cheeks turning pink as he slightly smiled at his Soobin-hyung.
“What happened to you?! How are you so tiny?” Soobin kneeled to the ground, cupping his hands and picking Beomgyu up as he held him close to his face.
“It’s…kind of a long story. Basically, I’m stuck like this until Taehyun cheers up though.” Beomgyu smiled at his Soobin-hyung, the older looking at him worriedly.
“Uh…okay. I think I get the general gist of it. I’ll help you however I can.” Soobin nodded to the younger man, Beomgyu, smiling in response.
“Great. In that case, can you write a sign and post it on my door first. Say something like ‘quarantined with the flu, don’t come in under any circumstances!!’”
“Okay, where’s your materials?”
“On my desk, hurry!!”
“Okay, okay!”
Once Soobin posted the sign on Beomgyu’s door, the others didn’t dare to go near his room. Besides that, Soobin helped Beomgyu think of other tactics to show Taehyun how much he was loved.
“What about a letter?”
“Already did it.”
“Oh. And…you gave it to Taehyun?”
“No…I just hid it away since it was too embarrassing.”
“Hm. Okay…how about reminding him of all of the times he’s helped you out? Maybe that’ll make him realize how important he is to you.”
“Oh! Good idea! Thanks, Soobin-hyung!”
Beomgyu worked up all of his courage as he snuck to Taehyun’s door, twisting the handle open. The younger looked up from his sticky note silently, shoving it into his pocket silently as he controlled his smile back into a somewhat defensive expression. When he saw Beomgyu’s tiny figure flitter next to him, he relaxed once more. Beomgyu laid his body on Taehyun’s pillow next to his head and Taehyun took that as his cue to turn towards his fairy-like hyung.
“Hey, Taehyunie.” Beomgyu smiles softly at the boy, cheeks pink and content radiating in the edges of his voice.
“Hi, Beomgyu-hyung.” Taehyun whispers back, voice tired yet somehow afraid to speak any louder, as if the older will be blown away simply from his greeting.
They stay silently for a moment, just staring at each other. Then, they simultaneously break contact, both of their cheeks pink and shy smiles on their faces.
“Um…so, what are you doing here, hyung?” Taehyun questions the older, curious tone in his soft voice.
“Hm…well, I just wanted to see you I guess. I just…I keep thinking. Remember that time during Blue Hour promotions when you encouraged me? I was in a real bad place then…but you did everything you could to show me you were gonna be there for me. And…you did. You did whatever it took for me to show you cared for me.” Beomgyu reminisced on his fond memories of Taehyun during their promotions, a proud smile on his face.
Taehyun looked at the older man silently, cheeks reddening as he gazed at the tiny man. He silently smiled as he closed his eyes.
“Yeah. You really mean a lot to me, hyung.”
“You’ve always been so good at expressing your love. Unlike me. Like that time when you said you value my chance to talk! That really meant so much to me. You’re…you’re an amazing person, Taehyun. And I’m not just saying that as your hyung, or your best friend, or even your teammate. I feel…so lucky to know you, to have you in my life. You can do amazing things, Taehyun. All you have to do is recognize that.”
Beomgyu sounds authentic. Genuine. Like he truly meant every word he spoke. But Taehyun already knew that. He knew he had the power to do amazing things. Just like Beomgyu had that power with his words. The words that Taehyun fell in love with in the blink of an eye. His heart ached for Beomgyu to realize. But this wasn’t about Beomgyu. This was about Taehyun. And Taehyun knew his Beomgyu-hyung wouldn’t lie about something like this; that’s the first thing he fell in love with about Beomgyu. Even if he joked around a lot, when it came to these more intimate moments behind the camera and bravado of the idol lifestyle, he was genuine in every word he told his best friend.
Taehyun felt silent tears well up in his eyes. He pushed them back as far as they would go. He silently nodded, closing his eyes as warmth filled every corner of his body. Beomgyu was so lovely. He made Taehyun feel so lovely. How could he have ever doubted himself because of a couple of comments? Beomgyu made it so obvious how amazing he was. So, he decided to believe in his words. Whether or not he already believed his hyung, no one would know but him.
That was the first night Beomgyu went to sleep content.
🩵
Beomgyu turned back into his human form a week after he initially turned into his fairy form. He was almost sure at this rate he wouldn’t turn back into a human, and yet he did. He wasn’t sure what shifted Taehyun back into his normal self, but at least it worked. So, when he woke up in his normal form once more, he audibly gasped, before running out of his room and across the room to Taehyun’s.
“Taehyun!!!! I’m back!!!!” He excitedly yelled, jumping onto the younger’s bed with a wide smile.
“Beomgyu-hyung! You’re back!” Taehyun excitedly replied, holding his arms out from his bed as he smiled back at his Beomgyu-hyung. Beomgyu jumped into them, hugging the younger boy as tightly as he could, body instantly filling with comfort. Oh, how he missed this.
Taehyun closed his eyes and relaxed his body, tears immediately welling up in his eyes. His arms tightened around Beomgyu’s waist as he thought of last night, memories flowing smoothly through his mind.
Beomgyu thought about Taehyun. Then he thought about his letter.
“Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to give it to him. Maybe…he’d understand.”
So, he grabbed his letter hidden away in the furthest corner of his room and read it, heart beating in his ears as his body filled with heat.
“Yeah…no. No way in hell.”
He flew over to his bed, paper still in hand as he fully laid on his pillow. He soon drifted off to sleep.
A knock is heard on Beomgyu’s door.
“Beomgyu-hyung. Hey, I was thinking, maybe this whole situation has to do with your––” Taehyun enters the older’s room with his iPad in hand, flinching back upon seeing his tiny-hyung sleeping. He immediately notices the paper in Beomgyu’s hand. Setting his iPad down and grabbing it silently.
Dear Taehyun,
Hey, it’s me, your Beomgyu-hyung. I…I know you’re struggling right now. And I know you don’t want any help, but…I couldn’t help but feel the need to write this letter. I don’t think you realize how utterly needed you are to our group, or to me. And…I know I’m shit at expressing these kinds of things…but…I see this light in you. This incredible light that’s able to fill a whole room with just your smile. To fill my heart with all kinds of wondrous feelings. Sure, people make comments; they always do, we can’t escape that. But… we do have the power to not let it diminish our light. Don’t let them diminish that beautiful I see radiating through you in everything we do. Those people don’t get to decide your worth, only you do. You taught me that, remember? If you didn’t teach me that when we were trainees, I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today. It’s thanks to you I was able to come this far. You have the power to do extraordinary things, Taehyun. Don’t let a couple of non-significant people make you forget that. Your light shines so brightly, it inspires everyone around you. Including me. Your light made me fall. It made me fall for you, your smile, your face, your personality. You made me freefall into a pit of love. I never thought I would love again, yet here I am, desperately in love with you. And…even if you could never love me like that…I’d still want to be by your side and show you my unwavering support. That’s what love does, I guess. I…I love you so much.
Thanks for everything you’ve ever done for me, Taehyun. Here’s to whatever comes next.
Love,
Your Beomie-hyung >0<
Silent tears fall on the paper. Taehyun’s eyes wide as he hides his ever-reddening cheeks with his hand. His lips tremble silently, before warmth and excitement flood over him. He dries his tears, soon leaving the room with his iPad and letter in tow.
Taehyun really loved his Beomgyu-hyung a little too much. So, when they left the hug, and Beomgyu silently noticed the letter now hung above Taehyun’s desk, the younger grabbed Beomgyu’s cheeks before he could say anything else.
“Beomgyu-hyung. I love you too.” Taehyun shakily spoke, a beautiful smile on his face as tears sparkled in his eyes.
“Eh?” Beomgyu squeaked, confused expression on his face as his eyes burned with unshed tears.
Taehyun breathed shakily, in then out.
“I…I never thought I could tell you. But…after your letter…I couldn’t hold back anymore. I…I love you so much it hurts, Beomgyu-hyung.” Taehyun emotionally spoke to the older, tears falling from his eyes as he held the cutest smile on his face.
“Ah?” Beomgyu squeaked once more, slightly smiling as slow tears fell from his eyes. Taehyun slightly laughed, gushing over the older’s expression.
They stared at each other with tear-filled eyes for a moment. Then, Taehyun’s eyes flickered down to Beomgyu’s lips silently. Their proximity grows closer silently, both of them still smiling shyly. Their soft lips lock together silently, deeply as each yearns for the other. A final tear falls from Beomgyu’s eye.
Their cheeks redden once more as they both fall back onto Taehyun’s bed, before laughing loudly, happiness bubbling up in both of their chests.
The next day, Beomgyu’s family would explain the whole situation to both of them. But for now, Beomgyu was back to normal and loved by Taehyun. And that was good enough for both of them.
Fin