Don't Call Me Angel || VMIN

σαράντα τέσσερα

A soft breeze drifted through the leaves hanging from the branches above them, making it sound like the trees were whispering secret messages to one another while they boarded the edge of the lake. The moon shone with a ghostly hue that night, its reflection on the water's surface disturbed by frequent ripples created by the families of water birds settling down in their nests as the evening drew in. Dulcet chirps and whistles occasionally echoed from the younger hatchlings, letting the rest of the park's inhabitants know how hungry they were, and a haze of fireflies dripped and twirled through the cool air.

It was these tiny insects, with their starry glow and hypnotic motion, that captured Jimin's attention and he followed their movements avidly. His eyes were wide with wonder, amazement was written boldly across every line of his face. He hadn't ever seen anything like it before, for it wasn't often that he visited the woods when it was dark back in Busan, and he certainly hadn't done it while he was here in Seoul yet. Their almost mystical appearance had him properly entranced and he seemed to be off in his own dreamy reverie.

Caught up in the flecks of light dancing across his retina and gasping quietly at the delicate beauty they held, he was unaware that the person walking alongside him was looking at him in quite the same way. Maybe there wasn't the exact glitter behind his eyes, or excitement radiating from his smile, but Taehyung was watching his innocent fascination with a definite look of adoration. Anyone who passed them would struggle to doubt the sincerity of his endearment.

Having stopped the bend down and examine one of the fluttering lights that had settled on a blade of grass limp with dew, the younger finally straightened his legs and turned to face the other. He was pleasantly surprised to meet the elder's gaze so quickly and he inched a tad closer, holding his breath when he felt the familiar foreboding beginning to pool inside him. His feet instinctively took him a pace back, making sure they were a comfortable distance apart. However, he didn't let this mar the lightness of his mood and he continued to smile beguilingly.

"This is ten times better than any park I had in mind," he confessed, casting around at the scene surrounding them.

"Did you think I was going to take you back to the swing set?" the elder asked, making a playful giggle fall from between the other's plump lips, "I thought you deserved to go somewhere that matched your beauty."

"Okay, you can go back to your old snarky comments," he hushed, blushing deeply and hiding his cheeks with the sleeve of his free hand, "No more cheesy romance from you."

"Or what?"

"Or I'll - I'll -" he tapered off uncertainly.

The smaller's grin was replaced with a pout and he began to stroll along the path again, ignoring the deep chuckles coming from behind him. This task would have been a lot easier if he was actually annoyed and didn't have his fingers wrapped around those of the culprit.

A warmth, that had nothing to do with the tteokbokki they had finished an hour earlier, built up inside him, threatening to spill out and bathe the cool night air in its glowing heat. He loved the feeling and the sense of invincibility it brought with it that just about convinced him he really could stay this happy forever. Ignoring the obvious inability to do much more than hold the other's hand, he was in awe of how such a small action could make him feel like he could do anything. With that notion in mind, he continued to skip along in his content little bubble.

They continued like this for a few minutes, enjoying each other's silence while Jimin dragged the brunette along the makeshift walkway until he spotted a single rope swing burrowed in a grove of trees just ahead of them. He shot a cheeky glance over his shoulder and sped off towards it, letting go of the larger hand so he didn't accidentally tug the elder off balance. His hurried steps slowed as he neared his destination only a moment later and he marvelled at the small secluded spot in front of him.