Chapter Text
A whiff of coldness flitted across the boy's face, his shivered fragile figure wrapped in black fabric, that not really stood out from the other people around him; which seemed to not bother him at all.
His body was lost in the big cashmere scarf that kept his neck warm in these icy temperatures.
His lips trembled from the cold and his shoulders were heaved with emotions, unwilled to back down.
Moreover, the cries implied ferociousness and noisiness laced in another.
The tears flowed like wet tracks down his face and dripped from his stubbled, shaking chin.
Death followed him with slow, rattled breathes— but he didn't know.
Taehyung didn't know. He didn't know how his friend painfully died on the inside, while a body dead, yet so alive, portraited a bubbly soul with rosy cheeks on the outside.
The smell of death awakened memories long forgotten, echoes of that long, endless hospital night trembled in his mind. Why was he suddenly being forced to swim once more in the ocean of the past, when he barely could hold his body up to the now like a drowned victim that failed to come up for their last breaths? Taehyungs best friends giggle appeared once again inside his ears, the ones he heard meanwhile the waves crashed into their toes on a hot summer day by the shore.
Colorful spots flashed in front of his eyes, it felt like his whole body had been beaten up and every movement caused some muscle or bone to ache sorely.
What he treasured so badly is now a memory, a shadow that lingered in the depths of his mind. It's a strange thing to lose something which you once had, something that was constantly around you. But decided to left. He was being forced to accept that decision.
Taehyung now stood there, a year later in front of Jimins grave. He looked at the framed pictures of the once, so alive raven haired soul that were placed on the ground. puffy eyes hooded back a thousand oceans of tears until a dulcet, unfamiliar voice appeared behind Taehyungs back that caught all of his attention.
Taehyung used his hands to wipe the tears that left pitch black eyes, while he slowly turned around only to face a slightly taller masculine figure with softish brown looking hair covered in small white snowflakes. Right as Taehyung wanted to study the expression gracing the male in front of him in peace, he first noticed that the trunk of the artistic faced guy was clothed in a black turtleneck pullover as well pairing a coat that hid his shoulders, a beautifully detailed belt that holds up his black, ripped pants lastly. Although they just met, Taehyung felt like the stranger could read his entire thoughts.
„Excuse me? I found this in the snow, down the path you walked and wanted to ask if it's yours."
Small, faded lips faced a small smile as the sentence spilled over them nervously while a shaky was holding a delightful golden, shimmering necklace. The one that had a strong meaning to Taehyung. He had a flashback to the day Jimin tried to teach him contemporary dance while a thunder tried to catch their fetching souls outside the studio.
„He gave me this necklace years ago... since then I kept it on all night, right over my heart. Thank you so much you really don't know how much this necklace means to me..." Taehyung whispered as he gently gifted the stranger a sad smile, eyes locked with his.
A giggle left the boys throat as he watched Taehyung observe his necklace.
glinting like bright stars the stranger thought through the time.
A flavorful sent of vanilla went its way up to Taehyungs nostrils as it reminded him of home, safety, and love.
The vivacious personality made the unknown boy caught his attention, even more, that's what he couldn't deny— the skin he had, a mixture of pinkish cheeks with a beige undertone made him wanting to stroke it.
„Jimin was an awesome person. I'm sorry for everything you must have gone through. Better days are coming, trust me on that."
Taehyungs eyes widened up, feeling all shy of himself and the whole situation. Still, he managed to let a miniature 'thank you' slip over his lips.
„Oh, by the way, let me introduce myself. My name's Jeongguk. As in Jeon Jeongguk."
„Yeah, right. Sorry, I forgot. I'm Taehyung. Kim... Taehyung." The tension between them became weird.
„Taehyung? He talked a lot about you." Jeongguk mumbled to himself, looking down to the floor.
Lips got bitten nervously, he excused it to be a bad habit of his but little did Jeongguk know he caused the poor boy to get goosebumps all over his chest. Soft hands gently placed the necklace where it belongs to within a second. His actions caused Taehyung to go mentally insane as he couldn't explain to himself such familiar gestures, even though he could swear he never met Jeongguk, neither did he ever heard of him.
„Hope we'll see each other another time." Jeongguk politely says as he tilted his head, while he gifted Taehyung one last smile. He put his hands back into the pockets of his black coat and left him alone in the middle of the cemetery, confused.
Days passed.
The only money Jeongguk had at this moment were leftovers from when he gave away stuff he didn't need, to people who needed it the most. He remembered the day being called Koreas next superstar by a girl on the streets since she heard him when he murmured to one of his favorite songs. The girl considered his voice to be unique just like his appearance.
Or the day he had caught one of his friends that monitored at his bathroom door while he sang in the shower with the excuse:
„I was forced to overhear the voice of an angel!"
Jeongguk stroked his brown hair while he lightninged up the sixth cigarette in twenty minutes chuckling to the memory he just thought of. This loneliness he faced now was like a vice on his heart, squeezed with just enough pressure to be a constant pain.
He did realize indeed that he should change a few things in his, just as his mom always told him, ridiculous life. For example, the unnecessary habit of puffing his cash away whenever he had some. The next thing you'll see him do is spending his personal burial money on cigs.
Instantly, as he wanted to lay back onto his back, napping all his responsibilities away to the slow RnB playlist playing in the background, the empty canvas that stood on its easel in the middle of the dimmed apartment bothered the shit out of him like it did hours before he met Taehyung outside in the bitter cold.
To remember a face with all features in detail remained easy for him. Taehyungs face which was art itself to be remembered within his mind wasn't a challenge for Jeongguk at fucking all. He just had to stand up, grab that pencil laying on his wooden desk beside drying oil paintings and rough sketches scattered all over the place and then start to retain Taehyungs outlines and lastly begin to sketch. Those outlines appeared to be the most beautiful ones he had ever drawn neither had seen in his whole twenty years of existing and breathing, bringing them back to life in his own unique way.
The color he chooses for Taehyungs sunkissed skin tone was a honey glazed one with gold shimmering particles. He dedicated him the color just as the prince he was because he deserved it.
Jeongguk was really scared to mess up. Even though he never messed up one of his paintings.
Maybe it was 1;
because it was Taehyung, the man who decided to stay up in his mind from daytime to until he goes to fucking bed or
2; because of how aesthetically pleasing the colors appeared to be.
Either way, Jeongguk finished the drawing without messing up thanking God for that fine man to be born.