Love is half

52

In the late afternoon light, the mountain around them are green and endless. The ocean of trees grows deeper as their sore heels takes careful steps forward, their phones are abandoned in the tote bags hanging from side of both of boys shoulders, moving side to side from the sway of bodies and rocks.

Jungkook watches the glittery forest green of Taehyungs nail matches with the shade of greens of the forest, their feet presses into the mud and crash the dried leaves underneath as the dirt clings onto their shoes which none of them pays attention to, it has been one hour and almost half and Taehyung has been guiding Jungkook to where his childhood spot hides, and where the river is and sun-warm for them to swim if they wants to.

The sun hide amongst the branches, squirrel race up to the tree and alerts the other members when two human approaches to the forest slowly, with his nose scrunched up, Jungkook speaks up,

"You used to come here often?"

Taehyungs hair is sticky against his forehead, he is few feet away from Jungkook but not too far, if Jungkook runs a little, he would be able to catch up to him. But the distance between them is safe, comforting to see the boy walking ahead of him with his broad shoulder full of childhood memories, "No." The older shakes his head, corner of his lips slightly quirking up, "I used to live here, between the trees and greens, dad used to scold me whenever I got insect bites all over me," his words are mingled with sound of the river nearby them, over the rocks, soothing any tiredness that might cling to their bones.

Besides him, Jungkook walks little faster to see the expression on the older boy, "I can see you not listening to him and running up to the hill again." His face softens when he laughs, he has forgotten how grimy he is, from the miles of hiking, sweat-stained and dusty from the road and green.

"Yeah, I was a brat." Taehyung sighs, he runs a hand through his blond hair, which now looks a deeper shade almost blending into brown and dusty grey from the sweat, Jungkook finds it quite fascinating. Taehyung looks at him this time, yet Jungkook doesn't mind him staring at him even though both of them are dirty with mother nature, "What about you?"

"Hm?" Jungkook raises his eyebrows, "I was awfully talkative." He lifts corner of his lips at the memory. He thinks they had this conversation before, few years ago maybe when things were very different, but he figures he doesn't mind the change right now.

"You were." Taehyung shakes his head while saying it, face soft, " You are very..how do I word it-even tempered now though , only talk when you need to and smile at right times, I envy it. Maturity and all" The way he says those words are so free, so genuine and Jungkook is surprised, because he hasn't heard Taehyung talking freely over months, it's a sight to see, something lingers in his chest. Jungkook doesn't realize when they are here, the journey he began hours ago just to reach here.

"You think so?" He asks instead, ignoring the urge to tell Taehyung how it took him so many years to be the way he is, "I mean, i can be talkative sometimes, but I prefer silence over it." He shrugs, Jimin has called him "hyung" once as a joke because of his capability to sound calm and right during most chaotic times. Something Jungkook discovered as true about himself.

Jungkook watches Taehyung, rosy cheeks and steady breathes, the conversation they are having is very random yet it manages to tug at him, just beneath his skin. Because these feelings are different and Jungkook found himself smiling, grinning until his cheeks hurt, until his chest prickling till he thought it might lift off his chest. When Taehyung asked or spoke, Jungkooks tongue ran away from him, griddy with newly discovered freedom where he didn't think too much about what he was saying, didn't fear if he has to sound mature or young. As they walked around little more, at some point he taught Taehyung how to skip stones and the older taught him how to catch fishes.