Chapter Text
He wakes up to blinding white.
The small dots of bright light hit him with full force, and Jungkook feels the headache coming on. He closes his eyes, and the world is black again. At least they don’t shine through his eyelids--only glow. He thrashes in bed a little, and fumbles his way to the window, fingers reaching blindly for the closed shades. When he finds them, he pulls them apart, and his fingers swipe at the familiar feel of the lock. The window opens, the outside kissing his face and giving him a breeze that makes his body tremble. Finally, he can open his eyes as the light trickles out, leaving nothing but a ray of sunlight and the dimness of the white walls.
The birds chirp in the trees above him, and Jungkook sighs. The noise of the world fills his ears, starting softly like a melody, until the whistle of the leaves and hum of the wind linger in the distance.
--
The man looks continuously from the charm to the smiling boy standing across the counter. Down, at the small, rusty wrapped cloth. Up, to a wide grin and crinkled eyes, and he feels a small sense of guilt eating at him as he shakes his head and pushes the item back towards the other. “Can’t do it,” he finishes.
The boy’s face drops so quickly it was almost as if he wasn’t smiling at all. “But whyyyyyyy?” he whines with his whole body, legs stomping continuously and hands grasping at the charm as he shakes his upper body from side to side.
“Boy,” the elder sighs, the neverending energy giving him a headache. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re not exactly a magical powerhouse. All magical energy is reserved for the nobility and runs our daily lives. We can barely get the streetlights to stay lit at night. What makes you think you can find any magic at this store, and even if you do find a place, what makes you think you can afford it?”
“But mister!”
“But nothing. You’re better off travelling to the next town over.” The other boy pouts, mouth slightly open as he stares at his broken charm as if it were his favorite toy. They sight reminds the older man of his own son at home, always running into his leg whenever he comes home from work to ask him about his day. It makes the elder’s heart warm slightly, and he calls the lad back as the other turns to leave. “Boy, I’ll tell you this since you seem like a nice young lad. Near the edge of town, close to the noble lands, there’s a young lad who lives in a small mansion by himself. It’s a long shot-- the boy doesn’t interact with anyone, but… you might be able to find some magic there.”
He gets jumped in return, the boy running over with such a speed that it seems like his shoes were charmed as well, making the man wonder just where he had come from, but his nose is tickled with a sweet, earthy scent of nature and grass that smells like freshly hung laundry, and he gives a small chuckle as he pushes the other away.
“Misterrrrr, thank you! I love you! Not that way but you’re the best I’ve met since I’ve come to this town!” His hold is strong despite the delicate lines of his face, and the image of his son makes its way into the man’s mind once again.
“Geddoff’ me and get outta’ here, kid!” Happily, the boy begins to dig into his bag for a couple of coins, and the man begrudgingly accepts him. “I wouldn’t take your money if I could afford it, but this town’s not doing too well in terms of daily living, kid. I’ll take what I can get. You’re better off leaving this place soon. You’re a traveler, from what I assume? I’ve never seen your face before. This place doesn’t make for a good adventure. No magic to spare.”
The boy smiles. “I’m passing around from place to place, sir! It’s fine, I wasn’t planning on permanent residence here. But thanks again, mister! You’ve helped me a lot!”
The neverending energy of the other is making the man fond now, which he has to shake off. Still, he allows himself one last question. “What’s your name, kid?”
The other gives a sweet smile, so innocent it shines like his own son’s purity. “Kim Taehyung, mister! I hope we meet again!” There is a wagging wave like the tail of a happy puppy, and then the bell chimes back into silence, and the man smiles at the empty doorway. He will probably never see the boy again.
Kim Taehyung, a man on an adventure, huh? Now that’s a story worth telling to his son.
--
Taehyung half skips, half hops in happiness a few steps away, where his friend is waving a small stick at a dog, trying to get its attention. He squeals and jumps onto the other’s crouched back. “Jiminie!!”
Jimin gives a small cry as he tries to prevent himself from tipping over, the stick dropping from his hand as it goes to steady his best friend. The dog takes its chance and snatches the stick before it retreats into the alleyway, disappearing behind trash cans and discarded items that smell of rust and mold. The other turns slightly, craning his neck so that the side of his face is visible to the other boy, and he gives a similar angelic smile before roughly pushing Taehyung off. Brushing his pants more out of habit than to clean off any gathered dirt, Jimin asks, “Did you manage to fill the charm?”
Taehyung replies happily. “Nope!”
The resulting sigh is loud and expecting. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Other than the electricity and that good stuff, the people here don’t really use magic. I was expecting either a shortage or a conservation.”
“But don’t worry,” Taehyung replies with just as much vigor. “The guy at the store told me we could try and go to the mansion near the edge of the town that may be able to provide us with some.”
Jimin doesn’t look convinced. “Yeah, but that means the guy is nobility himself. And if the place is really in a shortage of magic, I don’t think those guys would want to give us anything.”
The reasoning makes sense, and Taehyung’s smile falters for a bit as he whistles at the air. “Well,” he says finally, eyes looking at the white clouds floating above him as he holds his arms around his back, his foot kicking at the dirt on the ground. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to check it out. Even if we can’t find anything we’d have to leave tomorrow, meaning we have the whole day free anyways. We might as well try. Even if we can squeeze out a drop it would make our travels so much easier.”
Jimin grumbles but doesn’t object. His friend was right, after all. Ever since humankind had found a way to turn the magic sprouting from nature into a physical source, it had been used for centuries in terms of travel, crafting, technology, and other sorts. Even now, a drop of magic could go from one city to another nearby within a few days or so. “I guess that’s true,” he mumbles, before pulling his friend in the direction of the market square. “But first let’s get some food. I’m hungry.”
--
The sun is a nice shade of yellow by the time the two of them make it to the noble lands, where those of higher social standing can afford to live. The change in environment is nearly abrupt, warm farm grass and dirt roads turning into cement patches and tiled floors. The mansion the store owner was talking about sits closer to the outside of town, where the citizens live. It is about ten houses or so down from the closest building, and so it appears slightly isolated yet exposed to the bustle of town life.
Without hesitation, Taehyung walks to the front door and knocks loudly three times, Jimin following after him with a more wary curiosity. “Who do you think will answer the door?” he asks, and Taehyung shrugs. He hopes the other person is nice, whoever they are.
There is silence for a while, but when Taehyung raises his hand to knock again he stops it mid-air, pressing his ear to the door and listening intently. It is soft enough that it doesn’t travel outside of the building, but Taehyung can hear a little bit of scrambling on the other side, as well as a round of nervous pacing that makes him furrow his brows. The footsteps stop for a bit before they finally come to open the door, and Taehyung steps back as it opens slightly to reveal a boy, most probably even younger than himself and Jimin, peering out at them before opening the door completely.
The boy’s eyes shine of innocence and are opened wide in questioning curiosity. Adding to that, Taehyung admits he is beautiful, facial features carved in such a way that even Taehyung, a boy himself, would appreciate. But what really catches his eyes is the slight glow of the other’s skin in the light of the setting sun. He blinks once, almost unsure of the light that he’s seeing.
“Can I… help you?” the boy asks, voice unsure as he looks between Taehyung and Jimin warily, and Taehyung smiles back confidently, smile growing a little dazed.
“Wow, you’re really pretty,” he drifts off, and the boy ducks his head slightly, cheeks tinting a light shade of pink. Jimin elbows him. Blinking, he reaches into his bag and digs out the empty charm. “Ah, right!” he hands it over to the other boy with a thrust of power in his arm, which makes the other flinch. Slowly, the boy takes the charm and inspects it.
“We were told we could get some magic from this house,” Taehyung explains. “Could you help us?” He flashes a smile, and the boy stares at him, contemplating, before his grip on the charm tightens. He looks down for a minute, and then hands the charm back to Taehyung.
“Goodbye,” the boy says, making to close the door, but Taehyung rams his body against it in an effort to hold it open.
“Wait!” he calls out, but a small vibration tingles his fingers, and he looks down, body still wedged between the door and the wide eyed boy staring back at him, unsure of what to do.
The charm glows in his hand, buzzing with life, and Taehyung stares at it in wonder before snapping his head up to look at the other. He looks extremely uncomfortable, hands fidgeting at his side. “Can you leave now? I refilled your charm for you already.”
“Wait, what?” Behind him, Jimin reaches for the charm and snatches it out of his hands, feeling the vibration of life coursing through his fingertips. He looks up, a similar expression of bewilderment on his face. “You produce magic?” he asks, mouth starting to form the shape of an ‘o.’
The other nods hesitantly, and Taehyung pushes the door further open, allowing himself enough room to push his body in. The boy stumbles back, and even in the dim lighting of the room his skin looks as if light is shining on it. Slowly, some of that light seems to gather into a drop, and the ball rises up from his skin and off his body before it dissipates into the air.
Taehyung steps over quickly and embraces him in a hug, which he takes with a muffled gasp rising from the back of his throat. He feels the magic radiating off the other and into him, coursing through his veins and relaxing the tension in his body. The other boy pushes him off and backs away, looking hostile. “Go away!” he calls. “I refilled your charm, leave me alone now!”
“I’m Kim Taehyung!” he says instead, and stretched out a hand in a handshake. The boy only stares at it. “Thanks for refilling my charm! How do you do that? I’ve never seen anyone produce magic before! I didn’t even know that was possible! What’s your name?”
“E-erm.”
A secure grip on his arm pulls him back, and Taehyung stumbles on his feet, his body hitting Jimin’s as the other tries to hold onto him. “Easy, friend. You’re scaring him.” He puts on a small smile. “Hi there, sorry about Taetae. He gets a little excited about seeing new things. We’re new around this place, you see, just arrived in town this morning. Thanks for helping us refill our charm. If it’s possible, could you tell us your name?”
The boy blinks at them, mouth curled downwards into a lazy pout. “...Jungkook,” he says finally, and Taehyung erupts into a giant grin. “You guys aren’t residents?”
“No--” Jimin makes to answer, but Taehyung beats him to it, his mouth spilling words at such a fast pace that they begin to slur together, mixing in with the few eruptions of giggles and squeals and large gestures that portray the very personality of Taehyung himself.
“We’re from the same town! We decided to go on a road trip and travel to different towns and just see the world because apparently seeing nature lets us be one with nature and in order to be in balance with magic we have to be in balance with nature! So we’ve gone through the rest of the Eastern Plains and now we’re here in the West and this is the second city we’ve been to the plains here are very different from the East you know? The forests holds all different species of fruits and the rivers have weird plants and fishes in them have you ever seen them before my favorite is the one with two fins above its head because it kind of looks like a shark and I heard it tastes like--”
“I don’t go out,” Jungkook says, and Taehyung stops his string of words. “So I’ve never seen anything like that.”
“You mean, out of the city?” Jimin asks, and Jungkook shakes his head.
“No, I don’t go out of this house.”
“B-but why?” Jimin asks, and Jungkook shrugs in response. His expression is nonchalant, but Taehyung remains quiet as he examines the other.
“They don’t want me to. I’m supposed to produce magic for them.”
“But that’s boring,” Taehyung sniffs, scrunching his face up to show his distaste.
Jungkook shrugs again. “They don’t want me to get hurt or something I guess. I live well, so that’s enough.”
“But it’s not!” Taehyung counters, and Jungkook looks at him with wide eyes. They shine more of curiosity than of defensiveness. “Rules are made to be broken! You shouldn’t live a life without living, actually living in the moment! There’re so many things to experience! Why don’t you come and play with me for a day? We can swim with the fishes or--”
“Tae,” Jimin calls at this time, and the other turns with a pout. Jimin shakes his head. “Some don’t prefer to go out, so you can’t just drag them.”
“But! But Jungkook here doesn’t hate it! He’s never tried it! He’ll like it!”
“That’s not our place to say, Tae. We don’t want to do anything rash before we get kicked out or worse, arrested. Remember the last town we visited?” Jimin asks with a hard tone in his voice, and Taehyung visibly deflates.
“I didn’t mean to…” he trails off with a pout. Jungkook looks between the two of them, curiosity eating away at him, but he can’t bring himself to ask what had happened.
“Anyways, Jungkook, thank you for helping us. We won’t bother you again,” Jimin says as he begins to tug his friend away. Taehyung looks back at him with a longing gaze, and the glint in his eyes makes Jungkook press himself to the door. Still, he continues to watch them as their backs fade into the distance.
--
There’s a slight rapping at his window, and Jungkook brushes it off as the trees before he realizes that there is no tree near his house. With a heavy swallow, he turns his body just in time to see a small stone hitting the glass window. A few seconds later, another stone hits the glass again, but this time it is much bigger, and leaves a visible marking.
Quickly, Jungkook shuffles out of bed and opens the window, making sure to keep his body to the side in case a stone flies in. The few magic orbs of light that had collected to the ceiling from his body fade out into the night sky, and Jungkook looks down to see Taehyung, the boy from this morning, watching in awe as the magic rises into the air and breaks into sparks before it fades to merge with the night.
The other turns back to look at the open window, and when he smiles it is like Taehyung has taken the light from the sun and embedded it into himself. Jungkook’s heart stutters in his chest, and he grips the windowsill tightly. “Why are you here?” he asks, and the other holds his arms out.
“Jungkookie, jump! I can catch you!” he says, and Jungkook blinks.
“I can just come out through the front,” he says as he closes the window and makes to do so. From the ground, Taehyung pouts, something he has had to do a lot since he had begun this journey with Jimin.
“But that’s no fun…” he mumbles sadly. The smile on his face returns when the door to the mansion creaks open almost timidly, and Jungkook steps out, a coat wrapped around his shoulders. Other than that, the other is still clad in only his sleepwear.
“Um--” Jungkook starts, but that is all he manages to get out before Taehyung grabs him by the hand and drags him away from his home. He is startled for a few seconds, but then begins to panic as the mansion gets smaller from view, and he yanks his hand out of the others and starts to back away. “Where are you taking me?” he asks, eyes wide, and Taehyung only gives him a smile.
“I’m taking you to see the world, Jungkookie,” he says with so much conviction that it almost seems like the truth. “Well,” he adds on one second later, “technically I can only bring you around the area because Jiminie would kill me if he found out, but that’s fine, because I found a lot of cool places around the town, too!”
“Wh--What makes you think I want to go?” Jungkook asks, tone a little hostile. He tries to steel his gaze into a glare, but the other is unaffected, or doesn’t show it.
“But Jungkook,” he says. “You came out willingly when you saw me. That must mean you’re curious to some extent?” And true enough, when Jungkook had seen the other he was not thinking. His legs had automatically rushed down the stairs with so much anticipation that he didn’t even waste time in changing from his sleeping clothes, and Jungkook finds no rebuttal to this comment.
At his silence, Taehyung smiles even more widely. “I want to show you the beauty of the world, Jungkook. I’ll protect you if you let me, I promise,” he says softly, and when Jungkook looks back up and into the other’s eyes he only sees magic and truth reflecting from them.
Sucking in a breath, Jungkook grabs on to the other’s hand.
--
Taehyung likes to talk about everything and anything. Jungkook thanks this trait of the other’s, because without it the atmosphere would definitely have been more awkward than it already is. He continues to fidget with his coat with one hand, the other still in Taehyung’s grasp, being pulled forward slightly. They are going at a slightly fast pace, and the night air bites at Jungkook’s skin, but the quickening breaths that he takes are making him giddy.
Taehyung is now on the topic about some man he met in the town who runs a magical appliance shop. Jungkook stares up, looks to the left, turns his head to the right. The road is almost barren, no more tiling on the floor and the only flowers being weeds and dandelions spaced out unevenly along the way. Even so, the stars are bright, and the moon lightens the path. Looking at the other man’s backside, Jungkook can feel the adventure and excitement radiating off of him. Kim Taehyung is a man made to travel, so it seems.
“Hey…” he says quietly, but the other doesn’t hear him, and he pulls back slightly, his hand nearly slipping from the grasp before Taehyung closes his hands tight around it and turns around, face concerned.
He lets go of his hands immediately, expression morphing into a silent apology. “I’m sorry,” he says, and Jungkook blinks once. “Jiminie always says I go a little overboard on the touching. Your hands are just reaallly warm, and I like holding them. I’ll keep my hands to myself now, promise! Don’t turn back, we’re almost there!”
“I--what?” Jungkook responds, face heating up. He shakes his head. “No, I just wanted to ask you a question.”
Taehyung opens his mouth and breath out an “Ahhh~” of understanding. “Sure! What is it, Jungkookie?” he ask with a wide smile, his hands finding Jungkook’s again. This time, his fingers entwine themselves with the others, and they squeeze slightly as a sign of reassurement.
“It’s just… you guys mentioned something about the last town. Did you guys get in trouble?”
Taehyung remains quiet, his eyes focused on the other. Then he smiles sheepishly, and turns around to start walking again. “I ended up buying this one really cool charm from the town before, you know? Something about changing the color of a material using reference from something found in nature. I was so excited to try it out, so I tried to conduct an experiment using someone’s dress. She said she didn’t like the color, so I wanted to dye it for her. But it ended making her hair change colors every hour. So I tried to fix that, and then I made her father grow a wiggling rainbow beard--” Jungkook stifles his laughter with his free hand at this.
“--but he ended up being the sheriff’s friend, so we got chased out.” Taehyung starts giggling, low ruptures of laughter slipping out and making Jungkook’s silent chuckle fill with sound. Within seconds the two are in a fit of giggles, and Taehyung struggles to finish his sentence.
“I tried to teleport us as far away as we could but Jiminie ended up falling into a trap net. He was so angry! We got lost for two days and then we hit this town! And we ran out of magic, so… here we are!”
“That must have sucked,” Jungkook says, but Taehyung shakes his head.
“Nah, it was fun! We’re alive. Plus, we got to meet you, Kookie, so everything worked out well,” Taehyung says, exhaling happily as he gives the other a little tug. “Hey, we’re here!” Taehyung lets go of the other’s hand and twirls around, spreading his arms wide. Jungkook looks around at his surroundings, which are… surprisingly bare. The two have wandered off of the road at some part and began walking along the river that it runs parallel to.
The ground is more sandy than it is dirt, but what catches Jungkook’s eye is the fact that certain little crystals mixed in with the otherwise dull grains seem to catch the moon’s glow and reflect it back, allowing the ground to sparkle with the night sky.
“Woah…” he says, letting out a breath as he kneels down. The sand is soft on his fingertips, and when he peers closely he can see small critters flitting about silently. Something cold presses to his ear, and he flinches, falling backwards until he hits the ground with an “Oomph!” Standing beside him, Taehyung lets out an apologetic laugh, but he crouches down and plops himself next to the other, sitting cross legged as he begins to draw something in the sand.
Jungkook can make out the silhouette of an elephant (or what he thinks is one) in the sand when Taehyung breaks the silence again. “I think every place has its own beauty. Jimin and I have been travelling for a month already--we’ve been to five big cities in the East and this is our second stop in the West. The big cities all have big lights and these amazing shows, but I think the charm in this town is the small size. There’s so much nature embedded within it, you know?”
Jungkook nods slowly, eyes still staring at the crookedly drawn elephant in the ground. “If we pay attention to the big things, we begin to ignore the small ones. So I wanted to travel and see everything in life before I settle down for good,” Taehyung continues. His lips curl into a smile as his eyes glitter with joy. He takes the others hand slowly, and Jungkook’s eyes shift as he watches Taehyung fill his hand with sand. “See? Even now I’m finding out things I didn’t know before,” he says, lifting Jungkook’s hand and bringing it to eye level. Jungkook stares at the sand before his eyes focus and his lips part. Some of the individual crystals, the ones that glitter, are shaped as stars, small transparent pieces that resemble gems more than sand.
He closes his fist around the sand and lets it fall back into the ground. He realizes belatedly that he’s smiling, and when he looks over at his company Taehyung is looking at him in a little bit of awe.
“You know, you really fit well with this place,” he says in a soft voice. Jungkook cannot see what he sees, the glowing outline of the boy as the moonlight illuminates his features and the magic in him seeping out like light and dissipating into the night air. “I’m glad I brought you here, Jungkook. The sky is full of stars, the sand is made of stars, and you are like a star too. Everything is shining.”
Jungkook feels himself flushing again, and he averts his gaze to the water. “Do you say stuff like that with everyone?” he mumbles. Taehyung makes a noise, prompting him to repeat, but he only shakes his head. “Looks like it’d be nice to just drift away here…”
The breeze makes him close his eyes, and he feels the drowsiness kicking in after a while, but something pulls him up to his feet. When he opens his eyes again, Taehyung is bouncing up and down with a smile so wide it’s almost straining to watch. “I know where I can bring you next!” he says, and Jungkook pulls back.
“Next?” he asks incredulously. “Can’t we just stay here? It’s kind of late, I don’t know…” but Taehyung’s face falls immediately, and Jungkook finds himself swallowing up his next words. “Uhm,” he manages. “Where?”
The sad looks disappears and Taehyung points in a random direction, as if expecting Jungkook to know the geography of his hometown. When the other makes it clear that he doesn’t, Taehyung tilts his head and breathes out audibly. “The woods. There’s a clearing in there that’s really beautiful. I’m sure it’s even more beautiful at night.”
Jungkook furrows his eyes. “I don’t know. Don’t the fairy tales about people going in the woods at dark always end up… bad?”
But Taehyung laughs and nods like his answer has nothing to do with his plans. “They do, but I’ll be here to get eaten first. Also… I think nature likes you, Jungkook. Nature won’t hurt you.”
“...What does that mean?” But Taehyung only smiles.
--
Every bone in Jungkook’s body wants to fall into a state of deep slumber at this rate, but he manages to push his legs one more inclined step, and then another, and then a few more. The dark black of the sky is starting to turn into a light grey, dim shades of red beginning to seep through and stain the few clouds that are visible. He cannot tell the time but he knows it is almost dawn by the way the leaves rustle with life.
In front of him, Taehyung shows no signs of exhaustion, only a relaxed state of wonder as he breathes in the damp air of the forest, and Jungkook bites his lip to prevent his weariness from slipping out.
“We’re almost there,” Taehyung says, and Jungkook can tell by the even tone of his voice how much the other must travel to have gained this much endurance and energy. A little pang of jealousy hits him when he lets his eyes rest on the other’s back, fearlessly pushing forward as he sinks into the forest. Taehyung embraces the world, and as a result, the world embraces him back. Jungkook looks down to his own hands. They’re gritty, slightly stained from the dirt of the trees, but even then he can see his own paleness sticking out from underneath, no doubt from the lack of sunlight from staying in his house all day long.
It feels cool on his skin, small breezes and cold air, and he thinks back to the smell of the water and the scratch of the sand in his nails. It scares him, the thought that if he allows himself to fall too deep into this sort of adventure, he won’t be able to go back to his daily life inside the thick walls.
“We passed by this place while we were trying to get out of the forest, and we were too hungry and irritated to stop by and take a real look, but I managed to leave a few marks here and there. Thank god I made them right,” Taehyung says, although it’s mostly to himself. He snickers. “If not, I would’ve been lost for another day, and Jiminie would have killed me for sure.”
“You… you didn’t know if we were going the right way the whole time?” Jungkook asks, a bit of panic settling in his voice, and Taehyung just shrugs in front of him.
“I knew we had to go upwards. And I was trying to test something along the way… Anyways, I just had a feeling that I wasn’t going to get lost with you here, and I was right...” he drifts off. Jungkook waits for him to elaborate, but Taehyung stops, making the other almost run into him.
“Wha--” he stutters as he narrowly avoids ramming his nose into the other’s back.
“Yup,” Taehyung says. “We’re here.” And then he turns around, eyes filled with light. “Isn’t it beautiful, Jungkookie?”
Jungkook takes one step forward, but Taehyung holds his arm tightly to prevent him from walking any more. It’s a good idea, turns out, because Jungkook nearly steps off the little cliff that he has apparently been led to. After he gets over his surprise, however, he takes in the view in front of him. The cliff leads off to a large lake, spanning wide enough that the trees on the other side matches the size of his finger when he holds his hand out. He can’t see the bottom of the water, he knows it should be clean--the town doesn’t have much pollution in it, being low on magic as well as having its main production as fabric-- and so he knows it must be deep. At this time, the sky is already starting to gain a deep purple and orange tint in the sky. Jungkook can’t see the sun, it must still be hidden behind the trees, but he knows that dawn is near.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The feeling of his blood pumping in his veins and the beating of his heart fast in his chest doesn’t go away. In fact, it gets stronger as he gathers the courage to peer down at the lake beneath the cliff. The adrenaline almost eats at him, and the words slip out of his mouth before he can stop them.
“I want to jump.”
“Then do it,” Taehyung says without missing a beat, and Jungkook gives him a confused glance.
“That’s not a good idea,” he replies.
“Why?” Taehyung is smiling. “It sounds like the best idea I’ve heard. The lake is deep enough, if that’s what you’re worried about. I tested it when we stopped to rest before. And there’s nothing in there. Nothing dangerous enough, at least.”
Jungkook shakes his head, stepping backwards. “We shouldn’t--”
“Are you scared?” the other teases, but Jungkook shakes his head.
“No...no, I’m not, it looks like fun, really. But… I…” Jungkook struggles with his words, not sure what to say. He wants to jump, definitely, to feel the wind in his face and just experience what it means to be one with the air--to fly away. But it’s his desire that scares him. “If I jump I’ll never stop falling,” he says quietly.
Taehyung doesn’t say anything, and Jungkook is about to turn around and try to get the other to lead him back out when a rush of wind passes him. He manages to turn in time to see the other’s figure falling out of view.
With a gasp, Jungkook heads to the edge right as he hears the sound of a body hitting water. There is nothing below except strong ripples of water, and Jungkook feels his heart pounding so fast his head seems to sway. One second passes, and becomes two. Two becomes three, three becomes four.
And then a head pokes out of the water, arms flinging slightly before they manage to find a steady rhythm. Taehyung is gasping, and he looks up at Jungkook with a smile.
“Come down!” he shouts, and Jungkook watches him with wide eyes. “It’s crazy relaxing here! When will you ever be able to do this again?!”
The younger remains unmoving, and Taehyung smiles. “Then--just stay up there! I’ll come back and get you!”
But, as if those words were a wake-up call, the other steps back and disappears from Taehyung’s view. He freezes for a second in mild disappointment, thinking that the other has left him, but then a body comes plunging into the air. Taehyung’s eyes widen, and he seems to watch the boy fall in slow motion, face shielded by his arms and legs spread wide in a leaping pose.
Jungkook falls directly in front of him, a large splash causing his eyes to close in reflex before the wave of water hits his face. Taehyung can see the bubbles rising up to the surface, before the boy himself reappears, gasping for air. Jungkook meets his gaze, still frozen in shock, and, for the first time since meeting the traveler, he laughs.
With crinkled eyes and a wide, gummy smile, the boy laughs, his voice floating in the air, and Taehyung watches as Jungkook seems to glow even brighter than before. As if laughing with him, the lake sparkles and the small ripples of water slosh around them.
“That was awesome,” Jungkook says, smile still etched on his face, and Taehyung smiles back.
“Jungkook, have you ever seen the stars during sunrise?” he asks, and the other shakes his head, eyes curiously gleaming. “For a short time every day, right before the sun comes up enough to hide them from view, you can see them. Look up,” Taehyung says, eyes soft and trained on the others.
Jungkook keeps his gaze for a few seconds before he slowly tilts his head upwards. True enough, there are bright lights still glimmering in the sky, which itself is a canvas of warm hues. The stars twinkle in farewell before they gradually disappear as the sky becomes brighter. Before he knows it, all Jungkook can sense is the water lulling him to sleep and the sky changing colors above him. The two drift silently in the lake, waiting for day to come.
--
Jimin looks like a nervous wreck when Taehyung finally shows up back to their dorm at the town inn. The first thing he says is, “I was about to turn everything over and jump out a window when I found out you were gone! Why are you wet???” And then he spots Jungkook behind him.
The second thing he says is “I will kill you, Kim Taehyung.” He lunges himself at the other, who squeaks and manages to shove himself past the door and his friend’s body, and makes to hide behind the couch, moving in the other direction as Jimin heads towards one. The two circle the small sofa as he tries to calm his friend down.
“Jiminie I swear I didn’t kidnap him I just wanted to let him have a little fun and look you can’t treat a guest like that in front of the door oh my gosh don’t kill me I love you Park Jimin--”
Jungkook sneezes, arms wrapping around his shivering body even tighter, the soaked clothes dripping and starting to make a small puddle on the floor. That seems to calm things down, and Jimin leads him to the bathroom with an apologetic face before automatically going to find some towels.
The next thing he knows, he is sitting on the couch, Taehyung pressed next to him, both of them cradling a cup of warm tea while warming up underneath a blanket. Taehyung is animatedly describing their excursion, hands waving wildly and nearly spilling his tea over the blanket a couple of times. On the floor across the table, Jimin is sulking, his face stuck in a pout as he gives Taehyung the most unenthusiastic face he can muster.
“Why didn’t you invite me…” he mumbles, resting his face in his arms, and Taehyung steps out and goes over to lean on top of his friend.
“But Jiminie, you wouldn’t have let me try to get Jungkook out of his house. You keep saying I’d bother him, but it was the most fun we’ve had in this town. Right, Jungkookie?”
Jungkook blinks at the sudden inclusion of him. Shyly, he nods, eyes glued to the carpet floor, and Jimin holds back a squeal. The kid was adorable. It would be nice if he could spend some time with the other too…
“Ah,” Jimin says, suddenly remembering something. He pushes Taehyung off of him. “Hey Tae, I just remembered. When I was going through every single room trying to look for you--” Taehyung smiles sheepishly at this. “--I met a family who is set on going to a bigger city, and they offered us a ride with them. I said yes, because it would save us money and magic.”
“Wow, really? That’s so nice of them! When are we leaving?”
At this question, Jimin’s eyes flicker over to Jungkook, and he looks back at Taehyung with a little bit of sadness in his gaze. “Uh, tonight, apparently…”
The smile on Taehyung’s face freezes, and then dims to none. “B-but…” he looks over at Jungkook, who is staring between the two of them now. “We just met, though…”
The words take a while to seep in, but when it finally does Jungkook is left with a small emptiness in his chest. Oh. Oh. They were leaving. Of course they would have to leave. There was nothing special about the town anyways, nothing to see other than rivers and forests and a ground full of star-shaped sand…
“Jungkook,” a voice calls out to him. “Maybe you could come with us…?” Taehyung asks, but by the look on his face Jungkook supposes he already knows what he is going to say.
“I… you guys should go. I think I’ll stay.” The words are hard to get out, and Jungkook avoids meeting their gaze after it is said. It is Jimin who breaks the silence. The elder bends down so that he is face to face with him, a small smile on his face.
“Let’s get you home after you rest then, Jungkook-ah.”
--
There are authorities standing outside his house, and Jungkook blanches at the sight of them. Unluckily, the path is void of things like bushes or, actually, anything at all, and the three of them are immediately spotted.
“Uhh, who are those..?” Jimin asks as the men begin to head over to them. Jungkook steps forward in panic.
“Wait, no--”
But the men brush past him and make to grab his friends by the arms. Almost immediately, Taehyung begins to struggle. “Let go of me, what are you--” a strong hand pushes him onto the ground. He hears Jimin grunt before his body hits the ground, and supposes they had done the same to the other. “What the heck?!”
“Wait no, please let them go--” Jungkook says as he tries to pry the men’s hands off of his friends.
“Sir Jeon, were these the men who forcibly removed you from your dwelling?”
Taehyung would have laughed at the people calling Jungkook sir out of all things if the younger hadn’t sounded so scared and he wasn’t being constricted in a way that meant nothing good.
‘We don’t want to do anything rash before we get kicked out or worse, arrested.’ Taehyung remembers Jimin’s words, and bitterly smiles. It seems exactly like that was what was going to happen.
“No, they didn’t! I went out on my own will, and I got lost and happened to run into them. They were helping me come back. I was coming back, I swear.” At this, Taehyung frowns. Jungkook’s words are sounding like… like he was being held captive.
“Sir Jeon. You know it is in your best interest not to leave your house in case you get hurt. The governor would not like that.”
“I...I know. It was getting suffocating in the house, so I just… stepped out for a walk. I got lost. I’m fine. Let go of them,” the younger finishes with a hiss, and he stares back at the man standing in front of him, swallowing hard. His heart is beating like crazy, but he can’t let the other see his fear.
The man looks back at him with dark eyes, before he signals the others to let go of Jimin and Taehyung. Jungkook watches as the two of them stagger to their feet, and he lets out a breath of relief.
“We can send someone to fix the walls if you wish to do so,” the man says, and Jungkook shakes his head.
“No,” he says quickly, tone irritated. “I’m fine, I have windows for that.”
“To ensure--”
“I said I’m fine. Can you guys leave now?” The people look at him, and Jungkook’s hands curl into fists at his sides. Still, he doesn’t let his eyes fall. Finally, the man concedes.
“As you wish, sir.” Turning around, he makes to walk back to the area of the nobility, but stops beside Jimin, and peers down at the other with a judging gaze. “I suggest visitors should leave soon, if you plan to do so.” Without waiting for a response, the man continues his way down the path, the others following in tow. The air is tense even after they are gone.
“Jungkook,” Taehyung is the first to break the silence. “Is that why you won’t leave? Not because you don’t want to… but because they won’t let you?” Jungkook doesn’t say anything, and he walks up to face the other, anger in his eyes. “Why do you have to be held against your will inside that house? It’s useless to you! There are probably a bunch of rooms you don’t even need.”
“Look, you guys should go before the people come back. If anything, I know they will. And they’ll probably be looking for you two around town too. You should go,” Jungkook says, turning to go back in his house, but Taehyung grabs his arm before he manages to do so.
“Jungkook, you didn’t answer my question. Why are you letting yourself be tied up like this? You don’t--”
“I’m not being tied up!” Jungkook says, frustration in his voice. “Look, it’s safer like this anyways. Everyone is always trying to use me for something--it will always be true, so I might as well make the most of it. I’m safe, I’m well fed, I’m--”
“Are you even happy?!” Their voices are getting louder, and in the empty air words seem to echo even longer after they are said. “I saw you smile for the first time in that forest, and I’ve never seen you look like that before. When we first met you, you looked like you were scared of the world, Jungkook.” The other remains silent, and he refuses to meet his eye. “Do you really want to continue living like that?”
Quietly, Jungkook’s words echo back. “You guys first approached me because you wanted my magic.”
Taehyung’s eyes widen. The other has his gaze on the ground, but it isn’t focused on anything. Instead, it looks dull, and his skin doesn’t glow. It’s like he’s looking at a shell of a person, so closed off that it’s impossible to see inside. “Is that why you think I wanted to be friends with you?” he asks quietly, voice broken. “Because you’re nothing more than a tool? You think I don’t see you as human? That it’s not because I thought we could actually share the same mindset? That I could see there was something in your eyes that asked to be set free?”
A hand pulls him back. “Tae, that’s enough,” Jimin says, but he pulls away.
“Jungkook, I don’t want to fight with you before I leave. Even if it was a short time, you’re my friend. But only you can make decisions for yourself, just know that. You deserve more than to just live in a house too big for one person.”
“Taehyung,” Jimin calls softly, and Taehyung turns around and begins to walk off. Jungkook swallows. A hand lays itself on his shoulder, and he flinches. Slowly, he looks up to see Jimin smiling softly at him. “We’re leaving tonight, and if you want you should come with us. We can always make room for one more, even if we have to beg.” Even if it is forced, Jimin is happy to see that the other is smiling slightly at his statement. “Goodbye, Jungkook-ah,” he says before turning around to catch up with Taehyung.
Jungkook watches them leave until he can no longer see their silhouettes in the distance. And even then he remains standing in the same spot. He doesn’t know how much time has passed, but his legs are aching, and the sky has already dimmed by the time he has realized it. Tonight. Right now. They would be leaving anytime now.
Slowly, Jungkook turns around and walks back into his house. It is dark, and even as the magic lamps begin to light, they are unable to erase the shadows on the walls. For the first time in a while, Jungkook looks around.
The place is silent, too big for one person. ‘Just like Taehyung-hyung said,’ he thinks to himself bitterly. “When did I start calling him hyung…” he mumbles out loud, and startles when his voice bounces against the walls and falls back to him. He hasn’t talked for a long time in this house, he remembers as he raises a hand to his chest to calm his racing heart.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
...Is this it? Can he no longer make his heart race unless he scares the living daylights out of himself? When he closes his eyes he sees the green of the forest, the light shining on the brown haired boy as he led Jungkook back out of the trees, leaves hugging his body through narrow passages and shortcuts.
Tomorrow the governor will probably come to see him, bring a few gifts and leave him with a dry mouth as always. And his life will return to the same way it has always been. He will wake up with the magic being too bright to bear, eat breakfast that tastes the same every day on his tongue, finger books that he’s read countless times, dream while staring up at the sky out the window, eat dinner silently and go to sleep. And then it will happen again.
Jungkook opens his eyes, and he begins to run.
--
“Is your friend not coming?” the lady asks as she looks into the distance. The carriage they have prepared is already loaded, and Taehyung’s shoulders sink.
“I guess not,” Jimin says quietly, and the woman gives him a small apologetic smile.
“We have only been here two weeks, but we’ve heard a bit about the boy in the mansion, you know? They say he never comes out, yet manages to light up the entire town at night.”
“They should find their own magic instead of tying someone down and making them do it,” Taehyung mutters against his breath, and Jimin elbows him swiftly.
“Yes, but I’m sure they should be able to find some other source in nature.”
At this the lady’s husband pokes his head out to join in the conversation. “Well, of course they can, magic is in anything. The people here are too lazy to give looking a try, though, so they hafta’ rely on a little boy to do it for them. And the nobles are so scared to lose that source of easy life that they’re willing to take away the kid’s future, too. I’d go and get him outta’ there myself, if I could, but I can’t always be on the run with a family on my hands. We’re gonna’ hafta’ get going, kids. I don’t mind waiting a couple of minutes more, but we want to reach Zapad by the next week, so we’re kind of on a tight schedule.”
“Um…” Jimin says, craning his neck to look further, but Taehyung shakes his head.
“Sir, you can probably go. I don’t think he’s coming,” he says with a small smile, and the man gives him a sigh before he turns to face the horses.
“If anything, just know you two left him with good memories,” the lady says, before she gasps. “Oh my, is that…”
Taehyung turns around to see a figure running towards them in the distance. It’s too dark to make out anything other than the silhouette, but he feels hope surge in his veins as he twists himself to get a better view.
The dark figure is approaching at an… alarmingly fast rate for a human being, but the thought leaves his mind as soon as it enters, because it approaches the first streetlight, and Taehyung can see Jungkook’s face illuminated in under the glow of the magic lamp.
“Jungkook!” he screams, grin spreading across his face as he quickly scrambles off the carriage. Jimin follows after him immediately, and the two run over to meet Jungkook as he slows to a stop, breath ragged. The youngest steadies his hands on his knees as he tries to catch his breath.
“Let me… I want to come too,” he manages to get out, and Taehyung and Jimin share a look, smiles starting to hurt. Jungkook holds out a small bag. “I… I could only bring what I could immediately find… there’s some food, and… maybe a little bit of gems? I don’t have real money, I don’t think they wanted me to be able to get anything outside the house, but… if anything I have magic? And I could help you guys on your journey. I don’t know how, but--”
Taehyung cuts him off by enveloping him in a hug. The silence allows Jungkook to regain his breath, but then a lighthearted tone calls from the carriage. “Hey kids, lovely reunion there, but now that our main boy is here we hafta’ cut around to the illegal entrance and get out before anyone sees the escape, so uhh. Get in and stay low!”
The three of them exchange wide smiles before they break out into a sprint.
--