Yoongi strides into the space, fuming. It's dark, as usual. The lights above are chromed globes this time, and as he walks closer, he notices the bar counter is made of transparent glass, all pristine and blinding, reminding him of that stupid hotel bar where his heart was shattered by a few careless words.

And no bar stool.

"Where the fuck did the bar stools go?"

Taehyung shrugs, fire red bangs contrasting with his dark azure sweater, "You know how it is, the environment is based on your memories, not mine."

Yoongi grumbles and leans onto the counter, "Make it as stiff as you can today."

Taehyung gives him a look.

Yoongi rolls his eyes, "Please."

"That's better. Do you want a different drink this time?"

"Hell no. Why do you even ask."

"You sure?"

"Yes! You make the best cherry cordial, remember? I'm not having anything else."

Taehyung's lips curl just a little at the words. He turns around and Yoongi notices all the shelves are empty, "The bottles are gone too now? Fuck."

"You know I don't need them." A flutter of his hand, and a glass appears, this time angular and tall. Taehyung begins to pull ingredients out of the air, Yoongi watches, feeling the simmering rage settle down with each flick of his wrist. Ruby red, pungent clear, a dash of gold and a sprinkle of vibrant green. And like a magic trick, one single stemmed cherry appears between Taehyung's fingers, "Look, I got the real stuff this time! You know how rare that is?"

When the glass slides over, Yoongi pulls it off the counter and slams it down without a pause. It is stiff indeed, the sweetness has all but disappeared over the years, but he doesn't miss it. The notes are decidedly bitter now, numbing as it rushes down, punching through all his cells like a shockwave.

He hears a babbling stream, with faint car honks in the distance. The smell of damp earth and fresh shrubs engulfs him, calming his wayward heartbeats.

Cheonggyecheon.

He remembers now, the day his first book was finally published after years of editing, how he walked around the city in a giddy daze, and ended up sitting by the stream alone, with the most ridiculous grin on his face. It became his favorite place to find himself for years, until life took a toll and he no longer had the luxury of time to just be.

How could he have forgotten, the sound, the smell, the feeling of serenity all by himself.

"Now, are you ready to tell me what's wrong?"

Yoongi dips his head, "What's there to say that you haven't already heard. It's the same old, I keep chasing and chasing and it never ends well, nothing ever does."

Taehyung rolls up the sleeve of his shirt languidly, "What do you mean?"

"It's not even the betrayal this time, you know. I don't give a shit about it, frankly. It's just that - that no matter how hard I work on it, on everything, it always turns into nothing in the end." Yoongi grimaces and stares at the glass, "People come and go, awards and accolades never thrill me anymore, I honestly no longer know what defines me. What is it all for, hmm? I need answers, Tae, there's gotta be some reason for all this, right? A meaning behind all this... loneliness and struggle?"

"And I already told you, there's no answer."

"Fuck. Then what the hell am I doing? Why don't I just end it all then? What's the point?"

Taehyung's voice is soft and careful, "Because you made a promise, remember? To come to me until the very end. And until then, I'll be here, I'll listen and serve you your favorite drink. It's all for you, love. The journey is for you, and you only."

Yoongi rubs his face, and leans into the bar, at a loss for words.

Taehyung continues, "I know it's a heavy weight to carry, unbearably heavy. But Yoon, I'm always here. And you'll get through it, and we'll laugh about it all over a drink. You can tell me what it all means to you then, how's that?"

Yoongi's shoulders droop, deflated. He hums noncommittally, the glass counter feels icy to his skin, prickling.

"Don't forget the best part." Taehyung nudges the glass towards him.

Yoongi sees, at the bottom of the empty glass, the single stemmed cherry. No longer a blurred ghost, but substantial and glistening between his fingers when he fishes it out. He bites into the sweet flesh, feeling it rip open under his teeth, the juice oozing out and coating his lips. A sensation washes over him, pushing out a stuttered sigh.

"I soaked it for quite awhile you know?"

"The cherry? In what?" Yoongi murmurs.

"I think you guys call it contentment. Something like that."

Ah.

"Why is it sweet? You know I can take the stiff and bitter now."

"Well." Taehyung scratches his head, "Ok, it's self indulgent, I admit. I know you can handle it, all the hardship, the pain. But I can't help but want to give you a touch of sweetness still. Maybe it's a habit now, maybe I just like to see you happy."

Something wrangles against Yoongi's chest at the words, something unnamed and fond, but he scrunches his nose and retorts nonchalantly, "I bet you say that to all the souls you've seen."

A chuckle, "You brat. Ok, I'll tell you a secret then." Taehyung leans in and whispers, "Did you know that I've never served cherry cordial to anyone else?"

"You're lying."

A scoff, "I cannot lie, it's against my essence."

Yoongi narrows his eyes in pretend mockery, "I'm not sure about that, how about that one time when you told me Santa Claus was real."

A glare, "That was a fib necessary to protect the dreams and innocence of a young child."

"So maybe now you're fibbing about the drink for occupational reasons also."

Taehyung draws back hastily and stammers, "You - what - ugh, you're so - mean, Min Yoongi. So mean."

Yoongi stares at him, finding Taehyung's scrunched up face and puckered lips infinitely enjoyable to observe. Eventually, he responds, voice mellow, "It's a joke, I'm joking. I know you mean well. Thank you, thank you for sharing your very special drink with me. Thank you for cooking the syrup for hours until it's just right, keeping the stems and pits in the mix so -"

"- it tastes earthy and nuanced." They finish the sentence together, same words, same speed.

Taehyung giggles, his fire red bangs trembling. Yoongi wonders if they feel as soft as they look.

They pause in the moment, and finally, Taehyung retracts the empty glass, and asks, "You ready to tell me everything now? What's keeping you up at night? Which people matter to you the most recently? C'mon, lay it on me, I'm ready."

Yoongi clicks his tongue, and relents, "I always do, don't I."