...SUMMARY:...
..."What about you? What's your name?"...
...The boy’s smile had become wider at the question. “I’m Kim Taehyung. People usually call me Tae or Taehyung, but I go by another name too.”...
...“What would that be?” Jeongguk asks, genuinely curious....
...“Some people like to call me Peter Pan.” Taehyung says with a laugh, eyes crinkling at the edges....
...Jeongguk frowns. “And why is that?”...
...“Because this is where I live,” Taehyung replies, lips quirking up into a smile. “In Neverland.”...
...NOTES:...
...This exists because of Tae's song recommendation on Twitter, Lost Boy by Ruth B. And let me just say/warn that this is somewhat my first fic so, so so so so please don't expect too much;;;...
...and it's un-beta'd so-...
...ok im done rambling bye...
...*scurries away*...
...WORK TEXT:...
...*****...
...There was a time when I was alone,...
...Nowhere to go and no place to call home....
...My only friend was the man in the moon,...
...Even sometimes he would go away too....
...*****...
...Jeongguk is staring up into the skies with his back against the cold bricked walls, tear-stained cheeks bruised and bloody, as he heaves a sigh....
...It isn't a foreign feeling to Jeongguk, the numbness and emptiness that fills his chest. When the pain leaves the wounds that he would get at a daily basis, they are the only ones left to stir inside him, accompanying him through the passing of day and night. ...
...It didn’t use to be like this....
...He used to be one of the normal kids who could attend school without being picked on, bullied nor called names. In fact, Jeongguk was looked up to. A perfect role model. He used to fit in, known to be one of the top scorers for every exam, one of the best dancers of the school's dance club, one of the best singers and one of the best athletes. People absolutely loved him; they adored him, they respected....
...But they didn’t love his parents the way they did with him. In fact, they despised them....
...He can still remember that night vividly, as though it had just happened yesterday. Flames spitting and hissing in bright orange and yellow shades, the embers flickering harshly as they devoured his house, black smoke filling so quickly into his lungs until it became too suffocating for him to breathe. The shrill screams that left his parents mouths as they yelled at him to run, Jeongguk, run. ...
...Jeongguk had his feet rooted to the ground as he watched, helplessly and so afraid, as his house crumbled down piece by piece as the embers swallowed them hungrily and mercilessly. He was sobbing hysterically and screaming at the top of his lungs when he saw one of the concrete pillars tumble onto his parents from above, crushing their backs and emitting cries of pain that still haunts this boy when he closes his eyes. ...
...When life had bared it's fangs and snatched his parents away from his grasp, Jeongguk did not just lose them. He lost everything else as well. ...
...He was still sent to school right after the incident, due to his uncle's orders. But Jeongguk could not bear the fear and pain that haunted him daily, not only in his sleep in the form of nightmares that had him waking up drenched in his own sweat, but he would occasionally scream out of terror in the middle of nowhere because memories would flood into his mind without his consent....
...The people in school had tried to help him, they did. Teachers would stop class to bring him elsewhere to calm down, friends would try and support him by being there beside him when he had his moments. He was even sent to the school counselors in an attempt to find a way to cure his wrecked condition....
...However, sympathy could only last for so long....
...People started to get tired of him because Jeongguk just wouldn't recover. He couldn't. His grades dropped drastically, and he couldn't do anything without suddenly entering hysterics. People slowly lost interest in him before they began ignoring him all together. Some of the students in school took advantage of this situation and used it as a golden opportunity to begin bullying him....
...It used to be just name-calling and minor pranks, like stuffing balloons with ink inside his school shoes before he wore them, but it soon became destructive like hiding his gym attire when he had a class for it, only to be found later after school inside a trash can cut and torn, sometimes ripped into shreds. His table would always have a new set of insults scribbled across it every morning, and usually he would've taken the initiative to clean them up. But he stopped entirely as it went on even after a few weeks....
...The best part is, the bullying continued to evolve as the months passed, and Jeongguk would always find himself in situations where he is being cornered by a group of tough looking boys, shoving his back roughly against the school walls and insulting him, cursing him, calling him names and asking him to just kill yourself already. He used to fight back, but it got to a point where Jeongguk just couldn't find it in himself to do so any longer, even when a feet is being shoved into his abdomen, or when a fist is being slammed into his face; Jeongguk stopped caring all together....
...Life became hell for him. And today is no different. ...
...Jeongguk's uncle never really cares about the boy to begin with, so Jeongguk takes it as an OK sign to not return to his house every day. He would come back to this burnt down building that was once upon a time a place he could call home, the only remaining pieces of it left were the broken bricked walls that outlines the frames of the rooms and a few burnt pillars here and there. Everything else had become the ashes that Jeongguk would step on every day when he returned to spend his night. ...
...His eyelids are feeling heavy as they close slowly, allowing Jeongguk to chance one last glance at the empty black sky, save for the moon that is shining brightly down at him, before he is being pulled into another night of hopefully dreamless slumber. The memories had stopped scaring Jeongguk as much as they used to, and he had also witnessed less nightmares about the incident. But he had lost his self-confidence in that period of time. Lost the people he could once call friends, lost the love and care of his seniors and teachers, and lost the respect of society. He had taken a huge fall and now he can't be bothered to pick himself up again....
...Before his conscience leaves him again for the night as it usually does, Jeongguk's gaze is fixed on the moon as he whispers, "Please, take me away with you soon."...
... ...
...*****...
...Then one night, as I closed my eyes,...
...I saw a shadow flying high....
...He came to me with the sweetest smile,...
...Told me he wanted to talk for a while. ...
... *****...
... ...
...Jeongguk is woken up to the feeling of being shaken gently on his shoulders....
...He blearily opens his eyes, mind still foggy from sleep. His surroundings are foreign to him despite being in a blurry state in his eyes, but he can feel grass poking into his hair and hear water rushing from a distance, before realizing how he has no idea where he currently is, nor how he had ended up in this place. He is in the middle of convincing himself that is a dream before he notices that a voice is speaking....
...“Hey, are you okay?”...
...Jeongguk squints as he makes out the outline of a boy with light brown hair that gleamed under the moonlight that shined down on him, with a look of worry reflecting in his chestnut brown eyes along with a small pout on his lips. He blinks, suddenly all too aware that the boy is practically straddling him as their lips almost touch at the proximity of their faces with the boy hovering above him. ...
...“Um,” he manages intelligently, his voice coming out dry and raspy from neglected use....
...“Um? The boy repeats, confusion evident in the way his brows furrow together. “Do you not understand me?”...
..."No, uh-" Jeongguk stutters, still flustered at how close their lips are. He can feel the warmth of the breaths that leave the boy brush against the skin just above his mouth. "You're just, really close to me."...
..."Oh," is what the boy says before he makes a move to get off Jeongguk and opt to sit beside him instead. Jeongguk sits up after that, and turns around to see the mysterious boy staring back at him. Now that they're not in a possibly intimate position, Jeongguk can study the features of the boy comfortable, like how his long fringe almost covers his eyes, and how his lips are still slightly jutting out to form a pout. He looks positively adorable and harmless, Jeongguk thinks to himself....
..."Are you okay? How did you end up here?" The boy asks with a quizzical look, and Jeongguk is fascinated by how such a low, deep voice is paired up with such a childish and innocent looking face. The boys' head tilts to a side cutely as words continue to leave his mouth, and his eyes are shining with something akin to fascination. "Not that I'm complaining, it's just that I haven't had a visitor in so long." ...
..."I'm- I don't know. I don't know how I ended up here." Jeongguk replies, before he starts to cough. The boy then reaches out a hand, but Jeongguk only flinches away the moment he feels the fingers touch his back. He almost scurries away when he tries to place a bit of distance between them....
...Jeongguk does not notice the way the boy’s face fell. ...
...“Sorry,” he mumbles, wrapping his arms around his frame protectively, a habit he had picked up after the bullying came around, "I'm a bit sensitive."...
...The boy shakes his head, before his previous frown is replaced with a bright smile, flashing white pearly teeth and his eyes forming half-moons on his face. Jeongguk notes how it appears to be rectangular, and deems it suitable for the boys' features....
...“What is your name?” The boy asks, eyes shining with hopefulness. ...
..."...Jeongguk." He replies, his lips pressing into a thin line right after. He knows that he should be wary when talking to strangers, because his situation is known to practically everyone that lives in his region, but the boy looks harmless and he had sounded genuinely curious to get to know Jeongguk. So instead of usually backtracking from a conversation, Jeongguk asks back in return, "What about you? What's your name?"...
...The boy's smile had become wider at the question. "I'm Kim Taehyung. People usually call me Tae or Taehyung, but I go by another name too."...
...“What would that be?” Jeongguk asks, genuinely curious....
..."Some people like to call me Peter Pan." Taehyung says with a laugh, eyes crinkling at the edges....
...Jeongguk frowns. “And why is that?”...
...“Because this is where I live,” Taehyung replies, lips quirking up into a smile. "In Neverland."...
... ...
...*****...
...He said, Peter Pan, that's what they call me....
...I promise that you'll never be lonely,...
...And ever since that day......
...***** Taehyung had offered to show Jeongguk around, and Jeongguk had accepted the offer warily....
...They had walked down forests trails and crossed rivers by stepping on stones, with Taehyung chatting animatedly about the animals and other wild life that supposedly live here with him. They got to know each other, with Jeongguk finding out that he is younger than Taehyung by two years, and that the boy has lived here ever since he was born. Jeongguk had nodded along to everything the boy says and he is grateful that Taehyung never expects him to reply. He is too busy looking around the place and admiring the wonders it had to offer. ...
...The sky is still dark, but thousands of stars are scattered across it and painting it with beautiful white light that twinkled every so often. The air feels fresh here compared to the air Jeongguk used to breathe every day, and he finds that he likes this place that he's only ever heard of from fairy tales. He doesn't believe Taehyung about this place being called Neverland, though....
...Jeongguk thinks that they're in some part of the region he lives in, but in a part of it that Jeongguk has never heard about nor went to before. He believes that Taehyung had named this place according to his own free will, despite the vast differences that he had noticed about the place, like the lush greenery and the overflowing life that seem to ooze out of everything that existed here. It makes Jeongguk feel more alive....
...They are crossing yet another river now, hopping from stone to stone with great care. Taehyung laces their fingers together as he makes sure not to let Jeongguk fall into the river if he ever slips, which had unfortunately happened during their first attempt to cross a river earlier. The touch had been awkward during the first time, with Jeongguk stumbling over nothing on more than one occasion as he struggled to get used to it. It nearly sends the both of them into the rushing crystal clear waters beneath them for a second time....
...Jeongguk is witnessing and experiencing things he has never imagined himself doing, like petting the fur of wild animals when Taehyung had insisted so, ruffle the feathers of a bird that Taehyung had sung to, and touch fireflies as the insects surrounded themselves around the two boys while showing off their brilliant light, fascinating Jeongguk with the beautiful sight....
...He decides that he likes to wach Taehyung interact with the wild creatures, especially when the older sings to birds and they sang back. Every now and then, Taehyung will be seen cooing at a baby animal or imitating the sounds of the creatures that passed by while they continue to walk along the forest trails. He thinks that Taehyung is something rather otherworldly. ...
...After a while, they arrive at a huge wooden cabin with an enormous oak tree growing out of a hole on the roof with dimly lit colorful lights dangling from its branches, filling the air with several colors. Orange light is filtering through the circular glass windows on the walls of the cabin and there is the sound of friendly chatter coming from it. Everything about the place gives off a homey feeling that is foreign to Jeongguk....
..."Home sweet home," Taehyung announces happily, tugging Jeongguk's wrist and pulls the boy along with him when he makes his way towards the door. "There are five other people who live here with me, and we're practically family. They're very nice people, so I'm sure you'll love them. I'm at least 101% confident that they'll love you too."...
...Jeongguk feels a tug in his chest when he hears the word 'love', and relishes the new profound feeling that he thought he had long forgotten....
..."It's not very grand, so there will be nothing great about it to amaze you, but it's comfortable." Taehyung adds as he uses his other hand to twist the doorknob. The wooden squeaks as it is being pushed open, followed by the sound of footsteps as the two boys enter the cabin. Taehyung then shows the younger around....
...The interior of the cabin is as homey as it had seemed from the outside. There are potted plants aligned by all of the round windows by the wall, and most of the furniture are made of wood with floral-patterned clothes placed on top of them. It is a gigantic house with three rooms and a kitchen with a long wooden dining table next to it. There is also the faint fragrance of pine and roses in the air that makes Jeongguk feel strangely at home in his new surroundings. He decides that he likes the place....
...Fives figures are sitting around the dining table while chatting and laughing loudly together, making the atmosphere feel warm and inviting when Taehyung and Jeongguk enters. The conversation dies down instantly when Taehyung makes an obnoxiously loud sound while clearing his throat....
..."Hyungs! This here, is Jeongguk." Taehyung declares as he pats Jeongguk's shoulder, who is standing beside the boy and shifting awkwardly from foot to foot, not meeting the glances of the five other boys. "And from now on, he's family too. So be nice to him!" He continues, wrapping an arm fondly around Jeongguk's shoulder and grinning from ear to ear....
...Once again, Jeongguk is rendered speechless by Taehyung's light and carefree tone when talking about family and love, not forgetting his tendency to show affection to the younger easily. His heart feels tingly and there is a foreign warmth that is spreading through his chest, travelling all the way to his fingertips. He holds onto the feeling dearly. ...
...Taehyung isn't wrong about how Jeongguk would love the fiver older people. They welcomed Jeongguk's presence with open arms and had been very friendly to the younger, who is more than willing to bask into the warmth that they offered to him. They had introduced themselves as Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Namjoon and Jimin, all of them older than Jeongguk which efficiently made him the youngest. They had dinner together which consists of Seokjin's cooking that Jeongguk claims to be one of the best, and had blush a deep shade of red when he realized that he had said it out loud; but Seokjin's wide smile made Jeongguk grateful that he did....
...The seven of them spend the rest of the night getting to know each other, then proceeding to talk about both everything and nothing, laughing at each other and joking around, until Jeongguk lets out a yawn and they decide that it is a good time to catch up with some sleep for the night....
...Jeongguk follows after Taehyung who guides the younger to a large room with three beds, which he explains is because he shares a room with Hoseok and Jimin. He passes Jeongguk a set of fresh clothes before ushering him into the bathroom to shower and change. When Jeongguk finished washing up and putting on the clothes, he walks back into the room to find Taehyung sitting on the bed that is the closest to the window, Jimin and Hoseok sleeping soundly in the other two beds....
...Taehyung smiles when Jeongguk approaches him, patting down on the spot beside him on the bed....
..."You don't mind sharing a bed with me, do you?" Taehyung asks when Jeongguk sits down, his gaze flitting back to the small round window that overlooks the forest trails that are bathed in moonlight. "I don't feel like sleeping on the couch tonight."...
..."I don't mind." Jeongguk replies, his eyes following Taehyung's gaze to land on the scenary that the window had to offer. He slowly realizes that he had not slept in a bed for a few months now....
..."Cool," Taehyung says with a grin. He dives into the colorful blankets and rolls onto one side of the bed, with Jeongguk watching him in amusement. The older boy pats down on the spot beside him, like he had just did a few moments ago....
...So Jeongguk obliges, following Taehyung's movements and diving into the blankets, which emitted a fit of not-so-quiet giggles as the older recognizes the familiarity of it. The both of them stare at each other for a while, appreciating the silence between them with tiny smiles adorning their faces, before Taehyung reaches out to ruffle Jeongguk's hair, eyes widerning in pleasant surprise when the younger does not flinch nor move away from the touch....
...The corner of his mouth lifts when he notices how Jeongguk's eyelids are drooping down very slowly, so he whispers "Good night, Kookie." Too sleepy to notice the use of a new nickname, Jeongguk's head bobs up and down slightly, causing the older to laugh. ...
..."Will you be here tomorrow too?" Jeongguk's voice is timid and soft in his ears....
...Taehyung does not understand the point of the question, but the look in the younger boy's eyes that are hardly opening tells him everything he needs to know. So he nods. "Of course, Kookie. Now go to sleep, and let Mother Dreams engulf you with her sweet love for the night."...
...For the first time in months, Jeongguk sleeps while feeling peaceful....
... ...
...*****...
...I am a lost boy from Neverland,....
...Usually hanging out with Peter Pan,...
...And when we're bored we play in the woods,...
...Always on the run from Captain Hook....
... *****...
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