golden | taekook

nine.

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⥽♡ ˘͈ᵕ˘͈ [불안한]
↳ ꒰ 𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙨 ꒱
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it was a little bit into the afternoon when his muddy sneakers hit the pavement again. a hard slap against concrete as he tried to pick up speed on the board and wipe away sweat that dripped down his temples.

the fabric of his jeans had torn a little bit ago. it was an unfortunate dip in the sidewalk, one that had the wheel of his skateboard getting caught and his knees scraping against the ground to leave behind bits of skin and blood. the only place he could think of sitting was the small park up ahead.

that's how taehyung ended up sitting on top of a hill, on a bench, and hissing as he wiped at his knees to clean it from blood and dirt before putting a bandaid over it. he reached up to turn his hat around, the part that was previously shading his eyes from the sun now at the back. his mother wasn't a fan of the way he wore his caps backwards. that's why he did it.

there was only the sound of birds and the way the water washed up on the slight bank of the lake that could be heard. taehyung leaned back against he bench and closed his eyes, simply enjoying the peacefulness that he didn't get much of.

he didn't hear the footsteps until the boy was right there, and then he sat down as well. he was on the other end of the bench, but taehyung could still make out the soft features and pouty lips.

it was quiet, and taehyung found himself smiling.

"aren't you going to say hello?"

the poor boy jumped in his spot, a hand to his chest and little yelp escaping. "jesus shit." jungkook said, "don't you know not to sneak up on blind people?" 

"i'm so sorry." taehyung apologized, but he was also chuckling and it didn't seem like he was going to stop in the next few minutes. it made the younger cheeks tint pink like the flower buds decorating the grass around them. "what are you doing here?" jungkook tried to change the subject, scooting over on the seat so he was a bit closer beside the other.

"i fell off my skateboard." taehyung glanced down at his knees. they had three bandaids each and still stung a bit. plus his jeans now had new tears and he wondered why he didn't put on shorts when he went out to ride.

"you're clumsy taehyung." jungkook said.

the older boy simply chuckled, "i guess so." he replied. there was really no denying the fact. taehyung tended to fall, it didn't matter how long he rode because he'd always try some new trick that had him messing up and colliding with the ground. maybe it was part of his aesthetic at this point. "have you tried to skateboard before?"

jungkooks bangs bounced as he shook his head. "i'm better at walking." he said.

"do you want to go on a walk with me then?" taehyung asked. he was standing now, watching the small boy blinking brightly up at him. the sun made his eyes look like they were sparkling, little golden specks normally hidden in swirls of brown and only brought out by the golden rays shining on them. taehyung didn't mind staring at the pretty boy. "i'm holding my hand out." he added, waiting anxiously for a response.

it came in a soft smile and pink cheeks, jungkook biting the inside of his bottom lip as he nodded and reached out for the older boys hand. taehyung grabbed his of course, helping him stand and soon their hands released, just for the younger to hold onto his elbow instead.

there was definitely some awkwardness that remained, taehyung wasn't quite sure how to act around someone without the ability to see, but he was sure he wanted to keep being around the younger.

"you seem tense." jungkook said. they had walked down the hill and their soles hit the concrete, a small sidewalk that winded and turned around the park and went around the lake and under the trees and their shades of leaves. "i'm nervous." taehyung didn't lie.

"when did you learn to skateboard?" jungkook loosened his grip on the cane and leaned more into the older boy. his grip was gentle on his elbow but occasionally would tighten when he almost tripped on a pebble or crack in the curb. taehyung was there though, and if only the ravenette could see the fond little twitch of the older males lips.

taehyungs opposite hand reached up to cover the smaller boys hand holding onto him. "in high school, me and my friend thought we could pick up girls if we knew how." he chuckled back at the thought. "it didn't quite work." he said.

the two kept walking on the side of the lake, the sound of the water washing up on the bank was relaxing, along with the birds chirping and sound of kids playing on the playground a few yards away. "you seem like the type to have many people interested in you." jungkook said.

"you think so?" taehyung looked sideways at the boy beside him, an eyebrow raised and mouth turn up in a cheeky smile. given his ego had been mildly stroked, he admired how blunt the ravenette was yet how oblivious he seemed to be to his own angelic nature that sparked an interest in those he passed.

jungkook just nodded in response.

it was quiet after that. neither of them talked and neither really wanted to. it was a peaceful kind of silence that the two were comforted by, each holding gently onto the other as the older guided them along the walking trail.

ten minutes had passed and jungkook broke their peace with familiar words. "is it sunset yet?" he had noticed the way the shadows started to change, his limited blur of vision and the dark outlines growing to envelope his remaining sight in complete darkness. the sun must have been going down.

"yes." taehyung said. he looked up through long bangs that curled, seeing the deep red color taking over the bright yellow of the sun. it only lasted a second, and then taehyung was looking back at the boy walking beside him. "your eyes look pretty in this light." he said. the dark brown seemed lighter, as if turned to burnt honey in swirls of golden glitter.

jungkook wondered how pink his cheeks were. they were certainly feeling warm, and it wasn't thanks to the leftover sun shining on them. "thank you." he couldn't help but self consciously look towards the ground.

it seemed that the walking trail had ended a lot sooner than taehyung expected — because they were back to the hill where they started, and he suddenly wondered if he'd be considered an asshole if he kept walking and pretended like they didn't reach the end yet. "do you have a time you need to be back?" taehyung decided to ask instead.

"before 7." jungkook said, pulling on the strap of his backpack to fish out his phone. he heard it ding earlier and it was most likely a text from his roommate wondering where he was.

"you should start on your way then." taehyung said. he dropped his skateboard to the ground, the impact making a noise that had the younger jumping slightly.

"okay." jungkook frowned. he didn't want to seem clingy, or too upset that taehyung came across as dismissive just then. luckily the older noticed this, speaking up quickly, "let me give you my number." taehyung said, "that way we can actually meet up on purpose."

there was that smile again, the little one showing pearly whites and subtle dimples on blushing cheeks. jungkook nodded, "i'd like that." he said.

taehyung nodded too, and they exchanged numbers. he couldn't ignore the odd turn of his stomach when the small ravenette smiled up at him and waved before walking away. each encounter seemed to get less awkward, less of taehyung being weird and trying to figure out how to act. his thumbs tapped against the phone screen, changing the boys contact name.

koo. with a sunflower emoji beside it.

taehyung smiled. it suited the boy, something small and pretty to look at, but often overlooked at it sat alone blooming in the grass. jungkook was like a flower, although alone he remained a gem — but once picked it often leads to the withering end of the blossom.

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