"There are no stars in the sky," Jimin points out as they make themselves comfortable in their backyard, the weight never leaving Jimin's chest. Jungkook holds his hand, never letting it go.

Jungkook hums, "isn't it the way your life seems right now? Darkness stretched across acres and acres with no sign of any light."

Jimin turns his head to look at Jungkook with a questioning gaze, unsure where the younger was going with it.

"Your sky right now is a black canvas. It's dark there, almost like the bottom of the deepest ocean."

Jimin breathes in, eyes burning, and gives a slight nod.

"I know, it's been a tough journey for you and nothing seems to be going right for you. I know you feel like you've been holding onto yourself to keep yourself from falling apart right from the start, but there are still bits that crumble down in the form of dust. You've been so strong, baby—"

"I can't anymore," Jimin chokes on a sob.

"Yes, you can. You can. But you don't see anything in the dark. You're afraid of the endless pit that drenches you in the dark. Just like the sky right now, baby. Right now, you're blinded by the dark, by the pain."

"And what guarantee can you give me that the sky will clear, when that hasn't happened for the past twenty-five years of my life?" Jimin demands, tears sliding down his cheeks.

"Your life hasn't been all good. Neither has it been all bad," says Jungkook, slowly, trying to drill every word in Jimin's head, "even in the darkness that has seemingly ruled over you, there have been moments that pierce through the dark, their light shining right through. Tell me, Mimi, haven't there been moments that you hold precious to you? Moments that made you smile, that made you laugh? Moments that made you forget about the darkness, even if it were for a little while?"

Jimin stays silent, then slowly gives a nod.

"The first time I held my baby brother in my arms. That was a beautiful moment for me because I remember being afraid to hold him. He was so tiny, Jungkook. But the nurse helped me and when I held him, I didn't want to let go. He was so cute and he...till date, is my baby brother. My partner in this world."

Jungkook smiles but doesn't interrupt.

"When I went over to grandma's house before she passed on and we spent two whole days at her place. She had a farm and all these animals back then and it was...really something else."

Jimin takes a breath, a hint of a smile on his face.

"When I met Taehyung in kindergarten, he was this little brat that never liked me. But then I remember I got hurt and I cried, and he held me and comforted me. It felt amazing to have Taehyung as a friend, you know. He was the kind of person that would kick ass just for me and I felt important."

"You are important," Jungkook can't help but say. Jimin meets his eyes and gives him a small smile, but it doesn't reach his eyes.

"When I met you. When you asked me to be your boyfriend, I was over the moon."

Jungkook nods, his eyes stinging.

"There are many little moments like these, aren't there? Little moments in life that have made you smile, even if it was for a minute or less."

Jimin nods and Jungkook points up to the night sky, now glittering with stars.

"Those stars across the night sky are those little moments of happiness, those little moments of joy, those little moments of hope in times of darkness."

Jungkook pauses, without looking at Jimin, "your life will always be a black canvas. There's always darkness. But in the darkness, we burn. We create moments, we live moments that like the stars in the night sky, burn bright. Your black canvas that you assumed to be blank isn't blank. It's got these little dots of white and gold sprinkled over it."

Jimin breathes in, eyes burning as tears well up in them. Jungkook squeezes his hand.

"It's easy to give up. Your pain creates clouds that mist over the stars, hiding them from your eyes and all you see is darkness. That's all you get a view of. But clear away those clouds and count the stars in the night sky. There are millions of them that light up the dark. Allow them to burn bright in moments like these. Let your hope shine through the dark and light the path for you. There's beauty, there's hope, there's peace even in the dark. It's hard to see it but when you do, you can't unsee it."

Jimin sobs softly and curls closer to Jungkook, whose own eyes well up as he hugs the other close to him.

"Burn bright, baby. Don't die for the darkness. Live for the stars. Let's live and create many more. Let's cover the night sky with them...together."

Jungkook's crying too at this point and the whisper he receives back fuels his hope.

"Together."

——

6 June, 2023