𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐍, 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐍

j . h . s ー the wanderer

JUNG HOSEOK WAS genial in character. He is loved by many, loathed by none. He is so full of love and understanding that on many days, he had no time to think of himself. He worked at a small coffee shop in the city, where he took time and effort with every order of caramel macchiatos and chai lattes. Every night, when he went home. He smelt of coffee and biscuits.

Even now, as Hoseok walked towards the small coffee shop he owned, he smelt of coffee and biscuits. An unusual way to smell. But a very homely and comforting smell. Hoseok smiled as the idea of meeting new people filled his mind. Hoseok saw himself as a wanderer. Which was strange, as Hoseok had never been to the sea, never had the taste of salt pinching at his tongue. He had never been to a dense rainforest, never held the earth whence he came from in the palms of his hand. He had never been to the sandy deserts, never felt as the scorching heat burnt his skin.

Hoseok had never travelled. Period.

But he was a wanderer, he wandered the hearts and minds of others, he went on adventures in their stories. He shed every tear they did, laughed every laugh they laughed, he lived every life he had met. He longed to find a kindred spirit that he could share his soul with. And so that's what he ought to do. Find.

Hoseok kept his eyes on the path. No one was awake at such an early hour like this, so it was just him, the sky and the earth. That was until Kim Taehyung decided to wander into the wanderer. It was a mess at first. A clash! A bang! A boom! But then a hush of 'sorry' and 'are you ok'. The longer Hoseok stared, the more he wanted to look, and it was rude. But such beauty, he had never seen.

"I-I'm sorry, once again. I just-well you wouldn't expect people to be walking this early," Hoseok mumbled, chuckling lightly between words. Taehyung merely stared, his eyes twinkling and face ethereal.

"It's fine. Really, it was my fault, i'm sorry," Taehyung replied. Hoseok seemed too pure for this world. Too innocent.

"Are-are you ok?" Hoseok questioned, seeing Taehyung's bloody knuckles.

"Wh-what?" Taehyung stuttered. He had never stuttered before, if he had not been sober earlier, he certainly was now, "Oh, yes, yes. I just crashed into a wall that's all," he answered realising that hoseok was talking about his knuckles.

"Oh," Hoseok managed to respond. It was a miracle that he could even respond, with such a magnificent distraction in his way. "Would you like some, um...coffee?" Hoseok questioned. Taehyung laughed causing hoseok to blush at his own foolishness.

"Are you asking a stranger on a date?" Taehyung ran a hand through his hair. The winter air was unforgiving as it swept past him.

"Yes, uh, yes I suppose I am," Hoseok replied, putting in much thought to his words. Taehyung took a step closer to Hoseok, so close that he was able to observe every small freckle, every pore. Their lips were merely inches away from touching, Hoseok could feel Taehyung's warm breath on his skin. He smelt of alcohol and cigarettes, and even though they were this close, he was real. He was beautiful.

"The world is a harsh place, don't let it condemn you. Break you." Taehyung whispered staring down at Hoseok's lips. Hoseok looked at him questioningly, even though he was stuck in a moment of pure and absolute bliss.

"Stay away from the grasp of the Devil," Taehyung mumbled, leaning in closer. Hoseok closed his eyes, but when he opened them again, Taehyung was already walking away. Hoseok brought a hand up to his lips.

"The...Devil?"

? ? ?