Eyes Of The Forsaken

chapter 9

Jin led Jungkook to a place where children were playing. It was the end of the plain meadow, with flags of the tribe waving in the air. The children were engaged in various activities, some playing in circles with pebbles and stones, creating hills and then gleefully toppling them with larger rocks. Their laughter filled the air, ranging in age from five to ten years old. Jungkook observed them with a lively gaze, some playing hide and seek. Unable to resist, he found himself giggling uncontrollably, throwing his head back like a carefree child, eyes shut tight.

Suddenly, a child bumped into Jungkook's leg, gasping for breath. "Go!" he exclaimed, looking up at Jungkook with wide, expectant eyes. Jungkook stared at the child in astonishment, then turned to Jin, who chuckled softly. "They want you to play with them, to chase them," Jin explained with a smile. Slowly, Jungkook nodded his head.

"Go, Cytherea!" the child  again exclaimed in excitement, looking at Jungkook, who was puzzled by the nickname.

Jin, along with Jimin and Yoongi, watched in amazement.

Jungkook glanced at Jin, who crouched down to the child's level. "Why did you call him 'Cytherea'?" Jin asked the child, affectionately patting his head.

"Guardian Matron, mommy, told me that Cytherea is the most beautiful  and he is the most beautiful," the child explained innocently.

Jin chuckled, while Jungkook's cheeks flushed pink.

"Cytherea, let's play!" the child exclaimed, grabbing Jungkook's finger and pulling him along.

Soon, all the children gathered around Jungkook, and he began to chase after them. He tagged one child, and then that child chased after him. As Jungkook ran, his robe billowed behind him, his long hair swaying in the breeze. Some strands fell across his face, which he brushed away with one hand, while the other held his pink robe. Perhaps the child wasn't mistaken—Jungkook truly did embody beauty.

All the details might be missed by anyone but not by a dark pair of  eyes that were piercing the soul of the beauty from the beginning. Those eyes  even witnessed how the younger was glowing playing with the children. He noticed every muscle of the beauty stretching; he noticed every hair of the beauty floating in the air. He noticed the feet of the younger, how he was sometimes running on his toes; he noticed how the fingers of the beauty clutched on his robe more tightly when a kid who was chasing him got close to him.

After their playtime, Jungkook sat among the children, a four-year-old nestled in his lap. Some girls fashioned a flower crown for him. "Cytherea, please accept the crown," the girls implored. Jungkook smiled warmly, bowing to them as they placed the flower crown upon his head. "Thank you so much, beautiful ladies," he said dramatically, giggling.

"Let's go, the sun is setting," Jungkook heard the deep  voice of his heart .  He looked up to see Taehyung, the warrior, standing proudly with his hand resting on his sword. The children instantly stiffened, fearing the warrior; they all became quiet. The sun, too, seemed to heed the call, casting a golden hue over the horizon as if bidding farewell to another day. Its rays stretched out, elongating the shadows of the far away  trees in the periphery of the tribe.

Jungkook nodded and gently lifted the child from his lap. Bending down, he lovingly kissed each child, though his crown became slightly askew in the process. He  felt someone adjust the flower crown atop his head, when he was sucking down at the level of the children. It took him a moment to realize that it was Taehyung, ensuring it was positioned just right as Jungkook bid farewell to the children.

Jungkook stood up, facing Taehyung, who once again corrected the position of the flower crown with his patented frown. Jungkook gazed into the eyes of his beloved, while Taehyung's attention remained on the flower crown. However, he was not oblivious to the younger man's intense gaze fixed upon him. Had Taehyung met Jungkook's eyes, he would have seen the depth of love, adoration, and yearning reflected in them. Each glance held a universe of unspoken emotions waiting to be explored, a silent dialogue between souls entwined in an unbreakable bond.

As the sun began its descent, the children bid farewell to their play and dispersed to their homes. With each step they took, the air grew crisper, carrying whispers of the approaching night. Jin had departed some time ago, leaving Jungkook under Taehyung's watchful gaze as the younger man immersed himself in play with the children. Jin's departure had been silent, a decision made not to disrupt the tender moment unfolding before him.

Jungkook's attention remained fixed on Taehyung, his thoughts swirling with emotions he couldn't quite articulate. Something stirred within him, an inexplicable pull towards the warrior standing beside him. Unable to resist, he enveloped Taehyung in a tight embrace, seeking solace in the elder's presence. Pressing his head against Taehyung's chest, Jungkook closed his eyes, inhaling deeply the comforting scent that emanated from him. It was a fragrance that spoke of strength and protection, wrapping around Jungkook like a familiar sent .

In that moment, amidst the fading light of day, Jungkook found himself anchored in the arms of the one who had captured his heart. The world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the sound of their steady breaths and the rhythmic beat of their intertwined hearts. It was a moment frozen in time.  And as the night enveloped them in its embrace, Jungkook held onto Taehyung, knowing that in his arms, he had found his home.

Taehyung, whose hands were delicately positioned on the younger man's crown, now found them suspended in the air, devoid of their previous purpose. His eyes widened in surprise, the sudden realization dawning upon him like a thunderbolt. Slowly, his hands descended to rest at his sides, no longer in contact with the younger . A rush of emotions flooded his senses, causing his breath to quicken and his heart to race. Jungkook, attuned to every nuance of Taehyung's being, sensed the shift in his demeanor. As he felt the elder's arms fall limp, Jungkook instinctively reached out, grasping Taehyung's hands in his own while maintaining his hold on the elder's chest. With a gentle touch, he guided Taehyung's hands to rest upon his waist, bridging the distance that had. Then he again embraced the elder like his life depends on him .