radiant | jung hoseok | ✓

chapter twenty-six | the love shot

The forest smells of distant rain and sappy pine needles. There is clarity in the air that relaxes the anxiety in my mind and allows me to take a free breath. I absorb the pure energy of nature as I walk down the winding dirt path. I carefully place my foot down and avoid protruding roots and rocks that stick awkwardly from the ground.

Hobi sticks to my side like glue while the rest of the boys run ahead. They talk excitedly amongst each other about what animal they could take in a fight. They've already omitted the usage of their werewolf selves and spoke about what their human form could take. 

Their debates have explored bears, tigers, foxes, and even an alpaca which Jin thinks could be quite violent if it wanted to.

His hand finds mine as we walk on the beautiful trail. Hobi squeezes it gently and gives me a soft look. "This will be fun."

I smile in return and bump my shoulder against his. "Of course. It's never a boring moment with you or your pack."

Hoseok's cheek becomes more defined as he smiles more. "It's even more fun with you, Fin." He faces me and leans close as we walk. "I don't know if you know how much it means to me that you don't care what I am... or what we are..." he adds softly.

I nod in understanding. Meanwhile, my heart is pounding from our closeness. Heat floods my cheeks as his lips gently brush over the tip of my nose.

"Of course," I answer, scarcely breathing.

The sound of the boys grows fainter as they head deeper into the forest. Their voices and chattering fade from my ears and soon there is only the sound of Hobi's soft breath and the calls of birds over our heads.

Hobi and I stop walking.

There is a new atmosphere surrounding us. The first buds of our relationships are in bloom and I am already daydreaming about how it'll grow. How we'll come to know each other better, and fall in love in ways we didn't expect.

I didn't realize how easy it was to fall until I did.

If I would have asked myself about the possibility of falling in love... I would have dismissed myself without a second thought. Love was so foreign and distant from the realm of my understanding. And now... love feels like a newfound best friend.

A bartender and a barista.

Hoseok pulls back slightly with adoration in his caramel brown eyes. He places his hand underneath my jaw and moves his fingers across my cheekbone. He gazes into my eyes and smiles. "I wouldn't mind that."

I smile shyly in return and lean into his touch.

"My sun and stars."

"Moon of my life..." he replies.

"We're absolutely stealing that for ourselves," I say with a flicker of pride.

He giggles and nods. "Yes, we are." Then he leans forward and kisses me softly. My heart melts as his hands move to my hips. They rest at my sides and pull me closer to him.

With my eyes closed, I lean forward and kiss him back.

✫*ﾟ･ﾟ｡.★.*｡･ﾟ✫*.

The spot the boys found is beautiful. It is a hidden corner of the forest with large branches to overhang the small clearing. The grass in the clearing is delicately soft and tickles my skin as I settle into it. Jin has laid out a large blanket on the ground and has begun to unpack the containers of food from the backpacks they brought.

The younger three of the group search underneath rocks for worms. It is such a childish activity that brings a smile to my lips. They have been comparing the worms to see who found the longest one. Jimin appears to be in the lead judging by his huge smile and constant giggles as he teases Taehyung and Jungkook about their worm sizes.