But Beautiful

part 18

"We're going to go to a particular park I like to visit, does that sound okay?" Jungkook asked after making sure Taehyung was buckled into the passenger seat.

The patient nodded, looking out of the window and taking a deep breath. Jungkook noticed his knee was bouncing, nerves rattling off of Taehyung like a snare drum.

"Are you sure you want to do this? We can go back inside," Jungkook said, resting a comforting hand on Taehyung's knee. His leg stopped moving, and he turned to look at Jungkook with another nod. "Just let me know if you want to come back at any point, okay?" With another nod, Jungkook turned to start his car, pulling out of the facility's parking lot and heading towards the outskirts of town. He turned the radio on, keeping the volume low, as he hummed to the tune that was playing. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Taehyung staring at him, and he smiled despite his cheeks warming up as the patient so confidently kept his eyes off the floor. "The park is beautiful, especially at this time of the year," Jungkook began, "October is always pretty, the colors changing. And the weather, it's still warm during the day and gets chilly at night. It's perfect for things like bonfires, stargazing, camping, being outdoors in general. You know, there's a place in Japan that's surrounded by trees, I believe it's a lake, and when the sun is just starting to rise, the sunlight on the trees and the reflection of them in the water makes it look like everything's on fire. I've seen photos, I bet it's a really incredible experience in person."

As he continued to speak, Taehyung leaned in closer, eyes on him still in an attentive way. Jungkook laughed, a bit nervous, as he coasted down a slightly empty highway. "I'm talking a lot, I hope you're not irritated."

Taehyung shook his head strongly, hair swaying with the motion as he placed his hand on Jungkook's thigh, warm palm squeezing it as he sighed in content beside him.

"I'm glad it's not too much. You know, I wonder what sort of flowers you might like, or smells or seasons. I don't know if you had any favorites at any point, but I wonder if they've changed or how they might be now."

He pulled into a dirt lot, turning the car off before turning to Taehyung. "Are you ready to take a walk?" he asked, a smile on his lips as the patient nodded, taking his seat belt off quickly. "Alright, let me grab some things and we'll be good to go."

Jungkook slung a bag over his shoulder, another held in his arm as he fished out sunscreen. He slathered some on his hands, rubbing them together before massaging it into all of Taehyung's exposed skin; his face, neck and upper chest, and arms. The man stood patiently, even while Jungkook was moving his body and limbs around to make sure he was covered evenly and then spraying certain points with insect repellent. When he was finished, he did a quick application to himself and then gave Taehyung a thumbs up, which he replied to with a smile. The patient put his hand out, wiggling his fingers as he waited for Jungkook to take it, which he did just a beat later.

They began to walk, a well-traveled path that weaved and rounded a lagoon, the body of water spilling into a larger lake on the other side of the highway. Taehyung's eyes were wide as he took everything in, and Jungkook's heart leapt at the sight of him looking around in wonder. It was as if he was hearing things for the first time, feeling them, seeing them, and it made Jungkook happy that Taehyung was willing to experience this with him. He saw the man raise his free hand, stretching his fingers as if to touch the breeze, his head turning different directions when he heard the sounds of birds, or rustling in the leaves that covered small patches of the ground.

Barely making it far enough that the parking lot was no longer visible, Jungkook noticed Taehyung's gait beginning to falter.

"Are you alright?" he asked, frowning as Taehyung slowed down, a hand gripping his hip as his eyes shut tightly, a shaky breath inhaled through his nose. "Are you in pain?"