Dreaming Alone | taekook ✔️

t w o

I miss the long nights under street lights
When our hearts were made of gold
I miss the feeling that we had then
We were never growing old

roses
~ atc

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The brunette whipped his head around and beamed when he saw his two closest camp friends approaching him. They met a couple years ago, crowding around the piano in the common room, inexperienced fingers pressing onto ivory keys. None of them knew what they were doing back then, vocal abilities ranging from I think that's the note to tone-deaf. That was, until one of them became a full-on pianist.

"Your mom said we have another family joining our circle this week." Madeline poked at Taehyung's back with her toe, wet hair dangling off her shoulders.

"Makes sense." Yoongi shrugged with a lopsided smile, "We have the smallest group."

"I like our small group though." Madeline argued as Taehyung got to his feet, shaking a fist in the air. "Mighty."

Madeline had always wanted some kind of acronym name for their friend group. But M, T and Y didn't exactly make up any word, so she stuck with MIGHTY. Which was really fucking ridiculous but one hundred percent Madeline.

"Let's go."

It was true- even from a distance, Taehyung could see unfamiliar figures standing near their barbecue. One man and one woman. He assumed they were the new addition to their group.

"Good evening" fell easily from Taehyung's lips, having always been the most polite with adults.

"Meet the Jeons, kids." Yoongi's father piped up, gesturing to the pair of strangers. "It's their first time here."

Everyone exchanged smiles and greetings, slipping easily into conversation with the two newcomers— Junseo and EunKyung.

Taehyung went to see what his brother was up to. "Can I help?" He asked, peering over his broad shoulders.

"No." Seokjin laughed, "You can't cook for shit— let alone grill."

"You're mean."

"You called me mean twice today." The older said nonchalantly, reaching for the sweet potatoes wrapped in foil. "You can help with anything that doesn't involve meat. That's my specialty."

"I can decorate plates." Taehyung said eagerly, "I saw this really fancy dish back in the dining hall kitchen with a squirrel in the middle—"

He yelped when Seokjin jabbed at his forehead. "We're using paper plates, you idiot."

"I was joking."

"I know. Everything that comes out of your mouth is a joke."

"Kim Seokjin."

Seokjin slapped him on the chest, making laughter bubble up from Taehyung's throat.

They rejoined the circle, metal skewers in hand and settling into foldable chairs. The fire cackled, the sound prickling Taehyung's ears and heat nibbling at his skin.

"Where's your son?" Ahnjong asked.

Taehyung looked up his mother and saw that her question was aimed at Junseo.

"I don't know... think he went to check out a field or something." He frowned, "I have no idea where that is."

Taehyung tilted his head to the side, curious. "I can go looking for him." He offered, standing up and putting his plate down on his seat. "What's his name?"

"Jeongguk."

"Jeonwoo?"

"Jeongguk." He corrected him. Taehyung nodded. "Thank you."

"Want me to come with you?" Yoongi asked, stabbing a sausage with his plastic fork, all the while eyeing the luxurious wooden chopsticks Seokjin had pulled out of his bag.

Taehyung shrugged. "There're only a few fields and not a lot of Koreans. Plus the new people have name tags. I'm sure I'll find him."

Taehyung liked doing favors. He liked to think it made him a likable person.

His first thought was the Husch field, the one closest to the cabins. It was the one he spent his evening basking in.

Taehyung knew camp like the back of his hand, so even when his surroundings were drenched in moonlight, he found his way down the dirt path, flashlight tucked unused in his pocket. It was getting chilly, and goosebumps littered his arms as he strolled.

There was a stump near the edge and he climbed onto it with ease, scanning the clearing.

There, in the same spot as he was an hour ago, laid a boy.

__________

time for our two favorite shitheads to meet