path not taken
pairing: v/jungkook
genre: au
summary: taehyung never listens, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
taehyung never listens.
it’s not something he’s ever been good at, during any stage in his
life. he never paid attention to his parents’ warnings when he was a
developing toddler, learning the hard way what happens when you jump
off the swing midair, why you shouldn’t snap rubber bands on your
wrists, eat glue, or staple your finger.
in middle school, he was the kid everyone came to when they wanted
something or needed a scapegoat. teachers and upperclassman all warned
him, but if he was dared to go into the girls’ bathroom or to sneak
into the staff lounge and steal the snacks, he would do it without a
second thought.
high school’s no different either. taehyung’s friends all tease him
because he’s laid back, doesn’t really care about anything, and didn’t
bother to study for the big physics test even when everyone else was
telling him to, and he failed with the worst grade in the class. but
that’s the thing, taehyung doesn’t even mind. it’s not in his nature
to let things scare him or get him down.
maybe that’s why he doesn’t listen when his cousin seokjin tells not
to go exploring in the gigantic forest in the backyard of his
grandparents getaway manor. it’s summer vacation and taehyung’s
parents had sent him to stay with his grandparents under the pretense
that he wouldn’t just sit at home all summer (but taehyung’s pretty
sure they only did it so they could finally have some peace and quiet
in the house).
maybe it’s why he waits until seokjin’s too distracted with jimin, the
next door neighbor who came over to hang out but accidentally knocked
over an expensive vase, broke the mirror in the main hallway, and
stepped on taehyung’s grandma’s cat all in the first five minutes.
but it only takes him one glance into the hall to see seokjin
comforting the distressed jimin and heading to the kitchen to get a
broom before he’s racing into the living room at the back of the
manor, sloppily putting on his sneakers, throwing open the glass
sliding door, and dashing into the backyard full speed. he almost
forgets to close the door but he’s smarter than that, he knows seokjin
will only notice faster if he leaves it open.
he reaches the forest in approximately five leaps,he’s counting as the
ground flies beneath his feet and he hurriedly rushes into the trees.
there’s a lighted path in the middle that leads to a small pond,
taehyung remembers because his grandpa had told him about it, and
seokjin had been worried taehyung would fall in, were he to
accidentally lean too close as he’s prone to doing when he sees new
things.
but taehyung isn't trying to get to the pond.
his grandpa has told him stories about the forest. about how it’s
hundreds, if not thousands, of years old and all the trees are ancient
and stand at unbelievable heights, their leaves creating a vast canopy
that spreads for miles and miles. he’s told him about the old temples
that can be found deep within the trees, their presences ominous yet
calming. he’s also told him about the spirits of trees and the sprites
who inhabit the flowers, the moss, even the pollen in the air.
sprites are mischievous, his grandpa had warned him, but spirits are
kind. they can take on any appearance they wish, whether that be the
form of their mother tree or that of an animal. a sprite will most
likely play tricks, whereas a spirit will not bother you unless
provoked. they’re much more friendly.
when taehyung had asked his grandpa about whether he’d met a spirit
before, the elder just smiled, and that had settled it in taehyung’s
mind. he needed to find a spirit.
he wanders around, pushes past branches, careful not to tread on any
flowers in the process. he doesn’t want to anger any sprites while
he’s here, that’s for sure.
the forest has a weird atmosphere. it feels tranquil and mysterious,
but it almost sets taehyung on edge, like he could walk past a tree at
any moment and come face to face with something that’s not human. it
almost terrifies him, but at the same time, he likes the rush of
adrenaline in his bloodstream that keeps him walking farther and
farther.
it’s been a while, taehyung forgot his phone in the manor, but looking
at his watch, he knows he left around 3 o’clock and it’s now nearing
4:30. seokjin’s probably standing out at the front of the forest
shouting his name while his grandpa and grandma rush to the pond to
see if he’s there. if jimin’s still over, he’s probably standing at
the door, his face painted with anxiety and worry while he wonders if
this is all his fault.
and then a flash of dark brunet pulls taehyung out of his thoughts. he
freezes mid step, catches himself on the trunk of a tree as he almost
falls forward, and his eyes flit around him, trying to find what he’d
just seen.
that’s when he spots the figure. it looks like a boy about the same
age as him. dark hair, almost blacks lays flat over bright eyes that
seem to sparkle with dew drops and rays of sunlight, and his plain
white t-shirt is a stark contrast to the hues of brown and green
around him. taehyung’s entranced by him, wonders what in the world he
could possibly be doing out in the wilderness, and before he even
realizes it, he’s shouted out a loud, “hey!” that seems to echo off
the trees around him and ring in his ears.
at taehyung’s voice, the boy glances up immediately and when he
catches sight of taehyung, he freezes as well, his eyes widening. glad
to have the boy’s attention, taehyung runs to him, tripping over twigs
and leaves and old branches in the process. in fact, when he reaches
the other boy, he nearly topples him over, only saved by the boy’s
quick reflexes as fingers shoot out and catch him around his arms. the
fingers feel rough against his skin, almost like tree bark, taehyung
thinks, but less than a second later, he’s standing upright and face
to face with the boy.
“what are you doing out here?” he asks excitedly. “are you one of the
neighbors? i’ve met jimin before but i don’t recognize you. did you
get lost out here? or are you exploring, too? what’s your name?” the
questions spill out of taehyung’s lips and he hardly even pauses to
take a breath before adding, “i’m taehyung, by the way! i live, uh,
back there somewhere.” he points in the direction from which he thinks
he came.
the boy just blinks at him, his eyes wide and round, almost unreal.
taehyung can see the reflection of trees in their depths as if they
were made of glass. “jeongguk,” is the only answer he gets.
“jeongguk, ooh, i like it! you have a nice name. do you live around
here?” he glances around their surroundings, as if he expects to
somehow see a manor nearby, poking above the treetops, but there’s
nothing and his eyes drop back down along the woodland ground.
that’s when he sees jeongguk’s legs.
they’re not human legs, though they do resemble them in shape, he
guesses. jeongguk’s waist starts as a pair of jeans but steadily
morphs mid thigh into a dark mahogany, roots twisting and turning to
create tree-like limbs. “oh,” he says suddenly. “oh.”
there’s silence between them for a few moments. taehyung and jeongguk
stare at each other, the only sound a bird call in the distance. and
then taehyung finally blurts out, “you’re a tree spirit, aren’t you!”
jeongguk doesn’t say anything at first, just gives a small nod in
reply, and taehyung can’t help hopping up and down in exhilaration.
“this is amazing, i can’t believe i really found you!”
jeongguk looks shy almost, ducking his head and lifting a hand to
cover the lower half of his face, where taehyung notices his fingers
and upper arms are actually literally covered in bark. “you’re not…..
afraid of me?” his voice sounds young but there’s an echo to it, as if
it were coming from all around him and not just from his mouth.
taehyung beams at him. “not at all!”
the smallest of smiles pulls on jeongguk’s lips before he gestures
with a finger for taehyung to follow him. “then come with me.”
genre: au
summary: taehyung never listens, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
taehyung never listens.
it’s not something he’s ever been good at, during any stage in his
life. he never paid attention to his parents’ warnings when he was a
developing toddler, learning the hard way what happens when you jump
off the swing midair, why you shouldn’t snap rubber bands on your
wrists, eat glue, or staple your finger.
in middle school, he was the kid everyone came to when they wanted
something or needed a scapegoat. teachers and upperclassman all warned
him, but if he was dared to go into the girls’ bathroom or to sneak
into the staff lounge and steal the snacks, he would do it without a
second thought.
high school’s no different either. taehyung’s friends all tease him
because he’s laid back, doesn’t really care about anything, and didn’t
bother to study for the big physics test even when everyone else was
telling him to, and he failed with the worst grade in the class. but
that’s the thing, taehyung doesn’t even mind. it’s not in his nature
to let things scare him or get him down.
maybe that’s why he doesn’t listen when his cousin seokjin tells not
to go exploring in the gigantic forest in the backyard of his
grandparents getaway manor. it’s summer vacation and taehyung’s
parents had sent him to stay with his grandparents under the pretense
that he wouldn’t just sit at home all summer (but taehyung’s pretty
sure they only did it so they could finally have some peace and quiet
in the house).
maybe it’s why he waits until seokjin’s too distracted with jimin, the
next door neighbor who came over to hang out but accidentally knocked
over an expensive vase, broke the mirror in the main hallway, and
stepped on taehyung’s grandma’s cat all in the first five minutes.
but it only takes him one glance into the hall to see seokjin
comforting the distressed jimin and heading to the kitchen to get a
broom before he’s racing into the living room at the back of the
manor, sloppily putting on his sneakers, throwing open the glass
sliding door, and dashing into the backyard full speed. he almost
forgets to close the door but he’s smarter than that, he knows seokjin
will only notice faster if he leaves it open.
he reaches the forest in approximately five leaps,he’s counting as the
ground flies beneath his feet and he hurriedly rushes into the trees.
there’s a lighted path in the middle that leads to a small pond,
taehyung remembers because his grandpa had told him about it, and
seokjin had been worried taehyung would fall in, were he to
accidentally lean too close as he’s prone to doing when he sees new
things.
but taehyung isn't trying to get to the pond.
his grandpa has told him stories about the forest. about how it’s
hundreds, if not thousands, of years old and all the trees are ancient
and stand at unbelievable heights, their leaves creating a vast canopy
that spreads for miles and miles. he’s told him about the old temples
that can be found deep within the trees, their presences ominous yet
calming. he’s also told him about the spirits of trees and the sprites
who inhabit the flowers, the moss, even the pollen in the air.
sprites are mischievous, his grandpa had warned him, but spirits are
kind. they can take on any appearance they wish, whether that be the
form of their mother tree or that of an animal. a sprite will most
likely play tricks, whereas a spirit will not bother you unless
provoked. they’re much more friendly.
when taehyung had asked his grandpa about whether he’d met a spirit
before, the elder just smiled, and that had settled it in taehyung’s
mind. he needed to find a spirit.
he wanders around, pushes past branches, careful not to tread on any
flowers in the process. he doesn’t want to anger any sprites while
he’s here, that’s for sure.
the forest has a weird atmosphere. it feels tranquil and mysterious,
but it almost sets taehyung on edge, like he could walk past a tree at
any moment and come face to face with something that’s not human. it
almost terrifies him, but at the same time, he likes the rush of
adrenaline in his bloodstream that keeps him walking farther and
farther.
it’s been a while, taehyung forgot his phone in the manor, but looking
at his watch, he knows he left around 3 o’clock and it’s now nearing
4:30. seokjin’s probably standing out at the front of the forest
shouting his name while his grandpa and grandma rush to the pond to
see if he’s there. if jimin’s still over, he’s probably standing at
the door, his face painted with anxiety and worry while he wonders if
this is all his fault.
and then a flash of dark brunet pulls taehyung out of his thoughts. he
freezes mid step, catches himself on the trunk of a tree as he almost
falls forward, and his eyes flit around him, trying to find what he’d
just seen.
that’s when he spots the figure. it looks like a boy about the same
age as him. dark hair, almost blacks lays flat over bright eyes that
seem to sparkle with dew drops and rays of sunlight, and his plain
white t-shirt is a stark contrast to the hues of brown and green
around him. taehyung’s entranced by him, wonders what in the world he
could possibly be doing out in the wilderness, and before he even
realizes it, he’s shouted out a loud, “hey!” that seems to echo off
the trees around him and ring in his ears.
at taehyung’s voice, the boy glances up immediately and when he
catches sight of taehyung, he freezes as well, his eyes widening. glad
to have the boy’s attention, taehyung runs to him, tripping over twigs
and leaves and old branches in the process. in fact, when he reaches
the other boy, he nearly topples him over, only saved by the boy’s
quick reflexes as fingers shoot out and catch him around his arms. the
fingers feel rough against his skin, almost like tree bark, taehyung
thinks, but less than a second later, he’s standing upright and face
to face with the boy.
“what are you doing out here?” he asks excitedly. “are you one of the
neighbors? i’ve met jimin before but i don’t recognize you. did you
get lost out here? or are you exploring, too? what’s your name?” the
questions spill out of taehyung’s lips and he hardly even pauses to
take a breath before adding, “i’m taehyung, by the way! i live, uh,
back there somewhere.” he points in the direction from which he thinks
he came.
the boy just blinks at him, his eyes wide and round, almost unreal.
taehyung can see the reflection of trees in their depths as if they
were made of glass. “jeongguk,” is the only answer he gets.
“jeongguk, ooh, i like it! you have a nice name. do you live around
here?” he glances around their surroundings, as if he expects to
somehow see a manor nearby, poking above the treetops, but there’s
nothing and his eyes drop back down along the woodland ground.
that’s when he sees jeongguk’s legs.
they’re not human legs, though they do resemble them in shape, he
guesses. jeongguk’s waist starts as a pair of jeans but steadily
morphs mid thigh into a dark mahogany, roots twisting and turning to
create tree-like limbs. “oh,” he says suddenly. “oh.”
there’s silence between them for a few moments. taehyung and jeongguk
stare at each other, the only sound a bird call in the distance. and
then taehyung finally blurts out, “you’re a tree spirit, aren’t you!”
jeongguk doesn’t say anything at first, just gives a small nod in
reply, and taehyung can’t help hopping up and down in exhilaration.
“this is amazing, i can’t believe i really found you!”
jeongguk looks shy almost, ducking his head and lifting a hand to
cover the lower half of his face, where taehyung notices his fingers
and upper arms are actually literally covered in bark. “you’re not…..
afraid of me?” his voice sounds young but there’s an echo to it, as if
it were coming from all around him and not just from his mouth.
taehyung beams at him. “not at all!”
the smallest of smiles pulls on jeongguk’s lips before he gestures
with a finger for taehyung to follow him. “then come with me.”