Since We Were Kids [Taekook]
Scent Over the Fence~
(. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) welcome in my new story <(￣︶￣)>
The afternoon sun was warm on Jungkook’s back.
The seven-year-old alpha was busy in his backyard~
A serious look on his face as he dug a deep hole with a small blue shovel.
He was on a mission to find treasure.
jungkook
It’s gotta be here~
He muttered to himself~ wiping dirt on his shorts.
From the other side of the tall wooden fence~
He could hear the soft~ gentle sounds of the new neighbors.
There were a lot of moving boxes last week.
And then~ a few days ago~ a new sound had arrived. A baby’s cooing.
Jungkook hadn’t paid it much mind.
Babies were boring. They just cried and slept.
But then~ a breeze shifted.
It started as a tickle in his nose.
He paused~ his shovel halfway in the dirt.
It wasn’t the smell of his mom’s flowers~ or the grass~ or the dirt.
It was clean and soft~ like the first snowflake he ever caught on his tongue.
There was something else.
Like the shiny penny his dad had in his special collection.
It was a smell that made the inside of his chest feel… calm.
And big. Like he needed to sit up very straight.
And walked slowly to the fence~ drawn by the scent.
He pressed his eye to a small gap between two boards.
A woman with a kind face was gently pushing a stroller back and forth.
And in the stroller was the baby.
He was small~ wrapped in a soft white blanket.
He had a puff of fluffy brown hair and big~ curious eyes that were looking right at the dancing leaves of a tree.
As Jungkook watched~ the baby let out a happy little.
The scent grew stronger~ sweeter. It was coming from the baby.
Jungkook’s young alpha instincts~ usually quiet and unformed~ didn’t roar to life.
They didn’t make him want to shout or run.
Instead~ they settled over him like a blanket.
A very specific feeling~ clear as day~ filled his whole head.
Mrs jeon
Jungkook-ah! Snack time!
His mother’s voice called from the kitchen window.
He didn’t move. He was rooted to the spot.
The baby in the stroller fussed a little~ making a small whimpering sound.
Without even thinking~ Jungkook made a soft shushing noise through the fence crack.
Those big~ dark eyes seemed to look right at the spot where Jungkook was hidden.
The baby blinked~ and then a gummy~ wide smile spread across his face~ a little bubble of drool popping on his lip..
The woman~ the baby’s mother~ noticed. She leaned down.
Mrs Kim
What do you see~ my little Taehyung-ie~?? Is a birdie there~??
Taehyung. The baby had a name. The scent had a name..
His mother called again~ her voice closer.
He finally replied~ but his voice was quiet~ distracted.
He took one last look through the fence.
The baby—Taehyung—was still smiling toward him~ his tiny fingers opening and closing in the air.
Jungkook finally stepped back.
He didn’t run to the house.
He walked slowly~ picking up his forgotten blue shovel on the way.
His treasure hunt was over.
He had found something much more important than buried gold.
He didn’t have the words for it yet.
He just knew two things with total certainty:
ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜱᴍᴇʟʟ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ʜᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜱᴍᴇʟʟᴇᴅ.
ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʙᴀʙʏ ᴡᴀꜱ ɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ɪᴍᴘᴏʀᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʜɪꜱ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋʏᴀʀᴅ…ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ɪɴ ʜɪꜱ ᴡʜᴏʟᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ.
First Gift~
Jungkook didn’t dig any more treasure holes.
Instead~ every day after school~ he would go straight to the spot by the fence.
He would press his eye to the crack and wait..
Sometimes~ Taehyung was there in his stroller~ babbling at the sky.
Sometimes~ the backyard was empty~
And Jungkook’s chest would feel a little funny until he heard the baby’s laugh from inside the house.
Taehyung was outside~ sitting on a big~ colorful blanket on the grass.
He was surrounded by soft toys~
But he wasn’t looking at them.
He was trying very hard to grab his own foot.
Jungkook watched~ fascinated.
He saw Taehyung tip over with a soft plop onto his side.
He just blinked~ surprised~ and then giggled.
The giggle was like a tiny bell.
It made Jungkook smile~ a big~ toothy grin he didn't even know he had.
Jungkook whispered through the fence~ his voice was full of wonder.
Taehyung’s head turned at the sound.
He pushed himself up onto his hands and knees~ rocking a little.
He crawled—a slow~ wobbly crawl—directly toward the fence.
He stopped right in front of the wooden boards and looked up~
Jungkook’s heart beat fast.
He wanted Taehyung to see him.
He looked around his own yard.
His blue shovel was lying nearby~ forgotten.
It was his favorite~ but that didn’t matter.
Carefully~ he pushed the clean plastic handle through the gap at the bottom of the fence~
Where the wood didn’t quite touch the ground.
The bright blue plastic appeared in Taehyung’s grass like a strange~ new flower.
He reached out a chubby hand and poked it.
He looked from the shovel handle to the crack in the fence~ where he could probably see the shadow of Jungkook’s eye.
Jungkook whispered~ his mouth close to the wood.
jungkook
So you can dig treasure~ too.
Taehyung’s tiny fingers curled around the blue handle.
He couldn’t lift it~ but he held on tight~
Making a happy cooing sound.
He looked at the fence and gave a wide~ gummy smile.
At that moment~ the back door of the Kim house slid open.
Taehyung’s mother walked out with a small bottle.
She stopped~ looking at her son holding the strange blue shovel handle.
Mrs Kim
Oh! Where did you get that~ little one~??
She followed the handle to the fence and bent down.
She peeked through the same crack Jungkook used and saw one large~ nervous brown eye looking back.
She said~ her voice was friendly and warm.
Jungkook jumped back~ his face turning red. He’d been caught.
He stammered loudly through the fence.
jungkook
I was just… he liked it. The shovel. I didn’t mean to bother!
There was a soft laugh from the other side.
Mrs Kim
No~ no~ it’s no bother. You must be Jungkook from next door. I’m Taehyung’s mom. He seems to like your gift very much.
Jungkook crept back to the crack.
Taehyung was now chewing happily on the end of the shovel handle~ his eyes droopy with sleep.
Jungkook said~ his voice firm with a sudden~ grown-up feeling.
jungkook
It’s a good shovel for digging.
Mrs Kim
That’s very kind of you~ Jungkook~
Taehyung’s mom said softly.
She looked from her content baby to the kind-eyed boy next door.
Mrs Kim
Would… would you like to come over and say hello properly sometime~?? I think Taehyung would like that.
Jungkook’s whole face lit up. He nodded~ even though she couldn’t fully see him.
Mrs Kim
We’ll arrange it with your mom. Thank you for keeping my Taehyung company.
As she gathered a sleepy Taehyung and the blue shovel into her arms~
Jungkook stayed by the fence.
The clean sweet scent of snow and copper was fading with the breeze.
But the happy~ full feeling in his chest stayed.
He had given his favorite shovel away~ and it was the best trade he had ever made.
don't judge him he's a Baby too.
Official Hello~
Two days later~ Jungkook stood stiffly by his front door.
His mother was smoothing down his hair for the tenth time.
jungkook
Stop fussing~ Umma~
He mumbled~ but he didn’t pull away.
His heart was doing a funny drumbeat against his ribs.
He was wearing his best shirt—the dark blue one without any dinosaur stains.
Mrs jeon
I’m just making sure you look nice for our neighbors~
Mrs jeon
It’s very nice of Mrs. Kim invited us over for tea.
They walked the short distance next door.
Jungkook’s eyes were fixed on the fence gate.
It looked different from the front.
Mrs. Kim answered the door with a warm smile.
Mrs Kim
Welcome! Please~ come in.
The house smelled like vanilla cookies and flowers.
And underneath it all~ faint but unmistakable~ was the scent.
It wrapped around Jungkook~ making the nervous drumbeat in his chest slow to a calm~ steady thump.
In the middle of the sunny living room~ on a soft play mat~ was Taehyung.
He was sitting up~ propped by pillows~ intently focused on chewing the blue plastic handle of Jungkook’s shovel.
He was dressed in a soft yellow sweater that made him look like a little chick.
Mrs Kim
This is my son~ Taehyung. Taehyung-ie~ this is the nice boy from next door.
Jungkook took a small step forward~ then another.
He slowly knelt on the edge of the playmat~ careful not to get too close.
Taehyung stopped chewing.
He let the shovel drop into his lap with a plink.
His big~ liquid brown eyes stared at Jungkook~ wide with curiosity.
He wasn’t smiling~ just… studying.
Jungkook held his breath.
What if Taehyung didn’t remember him~?? What if he cried~??
Very slowly~ Jungkook lifted a hand and gave a little wave.
He whispered. At the sound of his voice~ Taehyung’s eyes crinkled.
And then~ a huge~ gummy smile broke out across his whole face.
He let out a delighted squeal and waved both of his arms in the air~ reaching out.
Jungkook’s own smile broke free~ wide and relieved.
He glanced up at his mom and Mrs. Kim~ who was watching with soft smiles over their teacups.
jungkook
Can… can I sit with him~??
Mrs Kim
Of course~ sweetheart~
Jungkook carefully sat down on the mat.
Taehyung immediately grabbed the blue shovel~ held it out~ and made a serious
Sound~ as if offering it back.
jungkook
No~ it’s for you~
Jungkook said~ gently pushing it back toward the baby.
Taehyung seemed to accept this.
He dropped the shovel and instead~ lunged forward.
His tiny hands landed on Jungkook’s knee~ gripping the fabric of his nice pants.
Then he did something that made Jungkook’s heart feel too big for his chest.
Taehyung took a deep loud sniff.
His little nose was practically pressed against Jungkook’s leg.
He smelled the scent of sun-warmed pine and a fresh storm—Jungkook’s alpha scent.
When he pulled back~ he looked utterly content.
He rested his chubby cheek on Jungkook’s knee with a happy sigh~ his eyes drifting closed.
Jungkook froze~ afraid to move and break the spell.
He looked at the trusting baby using his knee as a pillow.
The clean~ coppery sweetness of Taehyung’s scent was stronger now~ mixing peacefully with his own.
He didn’t know what a bond was. He didn’t know what fate was.
But as he sat there~ under the approving eyes of their mothers~ with a baby sleeping peacefully against him~ Jungkook knew one thing for sure.
This was his. His to watch over. His to protect.
And he never ever wanted to move.
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