Bangtan Universe • BTS oneshots

8. Stardust • witch taekook

It turned out Jeongguk always suspected something. For as hard as he tried, Taehyung could never truly disguise the magic within him, the touch of stardust that would slip out when he's relaxed or emotional - the way his blanket would levitate just a little when he's sound asleep holding onto Jeongguk, the glistening pink mist that shrouds him when they kiss.

Jeongguk had always known Taehyung was special, and he had made peace with it, loved him more because of it. When Taehyung finally understood that, he felt relief washing over him, and a sense of fulfillment, that his life had finally come full circle.

Love conquered all, if Jeongguk could embrace who he truly was, maybe he could accept himself too, after all.

What Taehyung didn't realize, is that like two sides of the same coin, there's an opposite to love and life - death is the unbreachable divide that turns all the rainbow hues into endless black.

"I miss him, Chims, I miss him in every passing moment. It's like he took a part of my heart with him, and I can't move on, I'll never be whole again." Tae's eyes are screwed shut, his whispers faint and mixed in between their shallow breaths, like a dream that lingers and refuses to fade away.

He feels Jimin's hand through his hair, and his voice echoing on his mind, "you've been away for too long, Tae. You forget that death is not the end, but the beginning. If he means that much to you, if I could make your tears go away, I'd do anything, we all would. Tomorrow, we'll talk to Yoon..."

Taehyung has always been scared of Yoongi. Even in the afternoon sun, with the golden rays softening his profile, Yoongi's dark eyes pierce right through him, reminding him of all the childhood days when his lies would trick Namjoon easily but never get pass Yoon.

"Are you back for good this time? No more running away?" Yoongi comments.

Taehyung shakes his head, deflated, "no more running away."

"That's the thing about you, what I could never understand. So much potential, namjoon always said you would grow up to be the most powerful one of us all. But you cared about what other people said, cared about it more than your family. You broke namjoon heart, you know? He blamed himself for you leaving us."

"I'm sorry. I don't know - I don't know how you all do it, how to make peace with it all, to just be." Taehyung's lips quiver.

A sigh. "Anyways. Jimin said you wanted to bring someone back, someone that's passed away."

"Well, I don't know." Taehyung wrings his hands and eyes him uncertainly, "I don't know what I want. I just know I can't move on. He's the one and I can't move on now that he's gone."

Yoongi stares at him, just watches him retract into himself, and finally comments, "he's not gone, not yet anyways. You have to do it yourself, I can only open the portal but you have to really want it, to give something up in return."

Yoongi gets up, shaking off the languid afternoon sun, and there's a gleam in his eyes, something mysterious and older than all of them.

Taehyung remembers the reason he's always been intimidated of Yoongi. It's not about his demeanours, they are family after all - Yoongi wears his love on his sleeves as clearly as his disdain for other things.

No, what he's always been afraid of, is the dark magic seeping out of Yoongi, calling to him, luring him in.

They spend a whole week preparing, Namjoon and Yoongi pouring over the vast library of spells, and grandpa Jin and Hoseok visiting other witches and contacting purveyors for rare materials. And one night, with all the nights turned off and the six of them sitting in the family ritual room, amidst flickering candles and the comforting scents of potions, they are ready.