Lovely | BTS ✓

3

Taehyung walks into what will be his room for the foreseeable future, shoulders slouched as he drops his suitcase on the bed. Though he knew things would be rough, he didn't quite expect just how badly August had let his home fall apart.

He's surprised to see that the bed is freshly made, the blankets and sheets free of the dust covering every other surface of the bedroom. August seems to have made an effort to clean the bedsheets so his guest would have a comfortable place to sleep, but left the rest for Taehyung to sort out.

Taehyung decides to clean the rest of the bedroom, knowing he won't be able to fully relax until the space is at least semi-presentable.

After a quick trip to the supply closet, the floorboards creak beneath Taehyung's feet as he walks with the broom in his hand, through the kitchen and dining room into the entryway. He's coming to terms with the fact that he will be cleaning nonstop for days - maybe even weeks - and fixing everything around the house that is about to fall apart.

He can't understand how someone can live this way; the house tour mostly consisted of repeated apologies from August, shame swimming his eyes at the state he'd let his home fall into.

Taehyung walks up the stairs, reminding himself that this is a blessing; with the money he will make from staying here and helping August, he will be able to put his parents' financial worries to rest.

He stops at the top of the staircase, face to face with the painting of Amelia. Aside from the beauty of the girl inspired by the art piece, the painting itself is exquisite, the pink undertones creating the illusion that the girl in the painting is real, skin flourishing with life.

This painting is the only thing in this entire house that isn't covered in dust or barely holding itself together. The golden frame is pristine, somehow glimmering even though August has all his curtains pulled tightly shut - as if the sun even reaches his house to begin with, and he wishes to pretend it doesn't exist at all in his corner of the world.

The paint shows no cracks or signs of fading; Amelia's ocean blue eyes embraced by midnight eyelashes. The details are so intricate that he can count the number of freckles sprinkled on her button nose.

Whether or not she looked this perfect in reality, or if the painter guided the brush of their strokes to erase any imperfection on her rose petal skin, Taehyung will never know.

With that, he trudges away from the painting, broom in his hand as he continues his mission to turn his bedroom into a haven for him to relax when the shadows' fingertips around this place get to close for comfort.