Dreaming Alone | taekook ✔️

f o u r

"Omens are true." Madeline insisted.

It was that time of the week.

It was either horror stories, myths or Madeline trying to convince everyone that omens were indeed real. All told around the blazing fire.

Jeongguk and his father had came back, both silent and expressions somber. A minute later, Yoongi's father left with the Jeons to a staff meeting, having the son to stay behind. Taehyung followed Seokjin's advice not to bother the quiet boy. Instead he focused on the ridiculous things his friends were on about.

"Black cats, broken mirrors, spilled salt- all of it." She continued, her hands making theatrical gestures. "Bad omens."

"I believe her." Seokjin piped up.

Yoongi laughed, gummy teeth showing. "No you don't."

"I do." The older boy nodded. "I pointed at a rainbow a week back and scraped my knee a minute later."

Taehyung snorted. "He flew down those stairs."

"I didn't know pointing at rainbows were bad luck." Ahnjong said in response to her son.

"Oh come on." Yoongi threw his empty plate at the near by trash bin but it was a lousy shot. He got out of his seat to pick it up again. "You can point at anything and say it's a bad omen." Yoongi pointed out. "Like if I touched Maddie and threw myself off a cliff afterwards, that would mean something."

"Correction— I would be the one throwing you off that cliff."

"Mhm, sure."

"Okay." Seokjin tapped his index finger on the edge of his seat. "What about soulmates?"

"I believe them." Madeline answered, smoothing out her shirt like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't." Yoongi contradicted, "There are like— seven billion people in the world. This idea of having one single soulmate... All it does is limit you as an individual."

"What a smartass." Seokjin snickered.

"It's true!"

"How would you even know?" Taehyung asked skeptically, eyes strained to the flames that danced with no thought of the oxygen or the fuel they consumed. "I mean— what? Do you just—" He snapped his fingers. "—click?"

"No." Madeline answered, "You share things. Things like bruises, birthmarks, scars..."

"So they're all physical."

Madeline hummed. "I can't think of any that's not physical. But anyhow, you connect. You share this... bond."

"Magical." Yoongi snorted, "I can almost see the rainbows and unicorns."

Ahnjong turned to the hooded boy who sat next to her. "Would you like to say something, Jeongguk?" She suggested, "We're all friends here."

Jeongguk shrugged his shoulders, his hood still covering half his face, leaving shadows in its wake. Madeline narrowed her eyes at him as if saying You're still guilty of your crime, but they shot open when he met her gaze steadily.

He spoke, much to everyone's astonishment. "Not my fault you were in the way."

Madeline leaped out of her seat, only to be held back by Yoongi, who knew her well enough to predict her attack.

Taehyung, on the other hand, took advantage of the few seconds the boy lifted his head up towards the fire. Big eyes, dark pupils, partially hidden behind a curtain of raven hair. Puffed up cheeks (perhaps from the cold), and the gentle slope of a button nose. He looked a lot more innocent than the apathy he portrayed— curious even.

The ravenette turned away as soon as the message was delivered, hasty. And Madeline was muttering nonsense, something along the lines of you little bitch and I'll put grind up glass in your breakfast cereal as she peeled Yoongi off her.

"Okay okay." His mother tried to recollect the group, "Let's just—"

"Y'all didn't wait for me!" Jimin exclaimed, hands landing on Taehyung's shoulders before leaning down and hugging him.

"That's because you're late." Taehyung told the pink-haired boy, looking up at him.

Jimin went around with his signature hugs, gladly squeezing the life out of everyone but Seokjin and the new boy he'd never met. "Hi there."

Jeongguk had fallen back to his designated role, not even batting an eyelash in Jimin's direction.

Taehyung pulled at the puzzled boy's sleeve, lowering him to his level. "He doesn't talk much." He whispered to Jimin.

"It's alright." The boy murmured back, his confidence not faltering even a bit. "Everyone loves me eventually."

"No seriously—"

But Jimin had nattered on anyway. Taehyung sighed, leaning back against his chair and spending the rest of the night staring intently at the hooded boy.

When everyone retired back into their cabins (or dorms for those whose family didn't exceed two), Taehyung made sure to prop his bedroom window open, letting the cool air dull the summer heat.

Taehyung yawned, eyelids heavy with exhaustion as he took a moment to stare out to the distance and let the breeze caress his cheek. That was when he spotted the ravenette in his own room, in the cabin beside his. Their windows aligned.

The brunette blinked in surprise. No one mentioned them being cabin neighbors. In fact, they were so close, Jeongguk would've heard him even if he were to speak at his usual volume.

The ravenette was seated in bed, hunched over, head in his hands. The glow of his bedside lamp illuminated one side of his face. Taehyung couldn't really tell what he was doing. He didn't seem overjoyed though.

Someone knocked on his door and the brunette whipped his head around.

"Just came to check on you." Seokjin said, "Want me to move the fan upstairs? It'll help cool the room down."

"It's fine." Taehyung reassured him, pushing himself away from the window sill. "I swear it's getting hotter though."

"It's baking."

"Maybe you'd get to try that gourmet medium cooked human meat you told Marcus about."

"Oh my god." Seokjin laughed.

"It's not funny." Taehyung said, but he was grinning, "The poor boy. This is why I watch the kids."

"Oh come on. The kid watches Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse practically every evening at the Children's Center. Peter Porker ate a hot dog in that movie. It's cannibalism."

"You're a bad influence." Taehyung complained, "Overprotective, funny and caring. The best older brother. But a baaaaad influence."

The older stepped inside as Taehyung flopped down on his mattress with a loud sigh.

Seokjin ruffled his brother's hair affectionately, messing it up against the pillow. "Goodnight, Tae. I love you."

"Love you." Taehyung responded out of habit.

Seokjin flipped the switch off and it didn't take long for Taehyung to close his eyes and be whisked away to dreamland.

__________

i have two story ideas i want to work on. one involves ghosts and one involves spies.
take your pick ;) comment!

also please someone get me a brother like seokjin pleaseeee

- hay