But Beautiful

part 1

First day jitters.

That's what his mom called it. Jungkook had been staring at the mirror in the living room after fixing his hair for the umpteenth time, fussing over everything from his clothes to his teeth.

"You look fine," the woman assured, patting her son's shoulder.

"I need to look great," he mumbled to himself, fastening the watch on his wrist. "It's my first day and I want to make a good impression."

He had just been transferred to a new facility from the clinic he had been at for the last three years. He had one year of residency left before he became a fully licensed physiatrist, something he had worked on resolutely since he was sixteen years old. When he was accepted into a pre-med program he applied for while still in high school, it was a dream come true. Always a hard worker, he excelled in all of the complex courses he took; from microbiology to pharmacology. Helping people was always the end goal, and working with the musculoskeletal system was what he aimed for. Rehabilitation was his passion, helping those struggling from accidents and disabling conditions to achieve the best quality of life possible. It was rewarding in itself, and even though he wasn't a doctor quite yet, he had all the makings of one. This new facility he was going to start at was a challenging one, but he was ready for it: inpatient rehabilitation.

"You're going to be late if you keep worrying over your appearance!" the woman spoke, nudging her son with a smile on her face.

"Okay, I'm going," Jungkook said, making sure he had all of his supplies before leaning in to give the woman a kiss on her cheek. "I'll call you during lunch and update you on the new place!"

Waving him off at the door, his mother's heart warmed as her son drove off to his new residency.

                                                                            __________________

"Jeon, Jungkook," the man said, accepting his lanyard and ID from one of the receptionists sitting at the counter in the large entry area of the facility. "Where is Dr. Yoo?"

"He's in the staff room at the end of this hallway," the woman started, gesturing with her hand, "and he's waiting for you to arrive. Good luck!"

He smiled, bowing his head before heading down the hallway. His eyes were wide, taking in everything he passed, stopping briefly in front of what he thought was a large, empty entertainment area. There was a piano at the near wall, shelves stacked with used books holding well-worn pages, and plenty of furniture. He noticed towards the back corner, away from the massive windows that let in sun-saturated natural light, that there was an easel. The canvas was low to the ground, which was surrounded by small tubes of paints and messy palettes. He looked on it curiously, smiling when he saw a hand come from in front of the canvas with a paintbrush to sweep across the messy mixed paints. He approached, heart beating fast with the nerves of meeting a new patient for the first time.

"Hello, I'm Jungkook," he introduced as he approached, rounding the artist's corner with a hand extended. "I'm–"

He suddenly forgot how to speak.

The first thing he noticed was the raw beauty of the artist. All messy hair, paint smudged across the bridge of his nose and a swipe across his chin. He was golden, even though the sun wasn't cast on him, and he couldn't imagine just how much the man would glow if it was. The patient at the easel paid no attention to him, but instead was watching his brush stroke the canvas with no emotion. Fair enough, Jungkook thought, this is a rehab so he might be in pain. He cleared his throat, shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts.

"I'm a new resident at this facility. What's your name?" he asked kindly, tone lofty and sweet.

The painter again paid no attention, as if he wasn't even there. Jungkook instead looked at the easel, eyebrows drawn together as he looked over the scene. Mostly grey tones, with harsh strokes of black being added as he watched.

"What are you working on?" he asked, gentle, feeling the patient's melancholy creep into his heart through his eyes, eyes that watched his beautiful hand paint despairing abstract lines. He did have an artist's hands.

The patient paused, not lifting his gaze as he set his paintbrush down. He sat, so still Jungkook couldn't tell if he was breathing, and continued his silence.

"Ah, Jungkook!" a voice called out, startling the young intern and causing him to turn to the doctor.

"Dr. Yoo," he replied, a bright smile on his face as he reached his hand out in time with the other man's, grasping it in greeting. "Thank you so much for having me! I'm sorry I got distracted," he continued, a slightly embarrassed flush coloring his cheeks.

"Not a problem, I'm glad you were looking around," he began. The doctor looked at the painter with a frown, turning to see the art he was staring at. "I see you've met Taehyung," he spoke brusquely.

"Oh, is that his name?" Jungkook asked, looking back at the other man.

"Yes, Taehyung Kim. He, um, doesn't speak. Let's go to my office and talk about what you'll be doing here," the doctor spoke, patting the patient – Taehyung – on the shoulder before leading Jungkook from the room.

"Has he been in an accident that caused mutism?" Jungkook questioned, following the doctor's brisk pace through the halls of the building.

"No, he has the physical ability to speak, he simply doesn't," the doctor explained, taking Jungkook into his office and closing the door. "Have a seat," he added, walking around his desk to sit at it.

"I'm sure there's a reason?" Jungkook queried, sitting down and looking at Dr. Yoo with wide eyes.

"He's been here for two years now," he replied with a sigh, shaking his head. "Hasn't said one single word in those years. Never even heard him make much of a sound, which is honestly baffling," he continued with raised eyebrows. "With the injuries he sustained, I can't understand how he wasn't wailing in pain. He could have been paralyzed."

Jungkook grimaced, fingers tapping on his thighs as he listened to his mentor speak.