Why him?

If dragging himself out of his chambers wasn't gruelling enough, then the thought of ending up anywhere alone proved to be miserable. To be alone with Kim Taehyung, scared him.

Why out of all the people, it had to be him?

Currently he was wandering the palace corridors aimlessly. Messy hair, wiped clear cheeks and he hopes not those purple eyes.

"You're not like others, Taehyung, you're special"

"I am not normal? "

"No," She shook her head before adding, "special"

"What makes abnormal special? "

"You"

"Me? How? "

"Can i tell you a story? You can then find the answers yourself"

"Story? "

"You ask too many questions for a little man. Now come here," She gave a warm smile patting her lap, a smile he swore not to forget.

"About a thousand years ago, irul-the embodiment of evil, endangered the gandharian empire standing tall and mighty on it's feet now," She began, soon as his 7 year self climbed up her lap following great efforts.

He wonders if his mother had been wrong all along. He wonders if he were to ask the same with messy hair, tear streaked cheeks, purple eyes black rimmed, then would her answer still remain the same now. He wonders, if at all it did, then would he still be the same in her eyes when he is not in his own now.

"Did you find the answer? "

"I am the omega, that's the answer! "

With a hearty chuckle, one that he swore to treasure, his mother shook her head before replying, "no, baby, " she shook her head again, "you're not"

"Am not? " He sulked, knowing not why he did.

"No, there's someone else out there for you, " His mother replied, " To protect you-"

"No, I wanna pwotect the alpha like becahaya did, " He ruled out with a lisp that was yet to leave, and another pout. He pouted a lot when he was younger. "I will pwotect you, alpha!" He vaguely remembers pulling out an imaginary sword into the air.

Another hearty chuckle later his mother said, " Okay, you will. Enough? " A titter following soon after.

"No. I want the answer~"

"Love," She smiled brushing his locks, "to those who love you, you're special. To those who don't, you're abnormal"

He remembers thereafter, calling himself special to all the palace caretakers, his little squirrel friends, and even his mother. He remembers the last he did would have been as young as 9. For then came the longing for normalcy, turning toothy 'I'm specials' to scowling 'yes, am abnormals'.

Now he doesn't know if he was either.

"M-mother, would you tell me a story? "

"Sleep Taehyung, you're burning"

"A-am fine, mother, " He waved off, "would you- would you read me the legend of the protector?"

"Why won't you sleep, Taehyung? "

"I will, if you'd read me"

"You're stubborn"

"I-i am still no match to you, m-mother," He rasped, barely holding the coughing fit soon after.

Rambling under her breath, his mother walked over to find the book. He remembers sleeping to the warmth of her voice that night.

So it came as no wonder when he broke out of his reverie to look at his mother reading in her chamber. No wonder wherever he ran, he always turned to the legend at the end.

"Taehyung?" It was distant, but still held the warmth of her hearty chuckles and late night story whispers.

"M-mother? "

"You're alright? " Maybe it's the way she spoke, her eyes roving his features deserting the book in her hand, that had him forcing a smile, hoping it was convincing enough with a bright-

"Never better"

Yet her eyes refused to leave his features, so he continued.

"But are you alright mother? So yeon informed me of a steep decline in your health"

"Nothing much to worry about, son," She smiled, " You have got enough on your plate"

He wondered if she painted a smile just to wave off a similar concern on his features and the worried waver in his voice.

"Nothing more important than you, mother," He replied, "I am calling for the healers tomorrow"

"You're as stubborn as ever, " She smiled further, shaking her head, "Whatever you say, your highness"

The titter that followed still had the warmth, that he still swears to treasure. Maybe a little worn with age, but nevertheless it's Kim Mun yeong, how long can age battle her?

"So tell me, what's the purpose of your arrival, my king? " She taunted, a smile threatening to peek out of her lips.

"Would you read me a story, mother?" He should have stalled, maybe talked about the weather or uvagai arrangements, but he didn't think he had enough vigour for any of that.

"The legend of the protector again? "

"Always, " He smiled, unsure if it was forced or rather genuine.

"C'mere young man, " She called, patting her lap, "you still ask too many questions"

He smiled, nostalgically. She smiled back. This time, both felt genuine.

Head on her lap, her hand weaved through his locks when her mellow voice filled the room. "About a thousand years ago, irul-the embodiment of evil, endangered the gandharian empire standing tall and mighty on it's feet now"

"None knew of his power until people died in masses in every cranny of the town. Not a wolf in the five elemental realm was capable of defeating his malignity, " She whispered, her voice turning dark. He smiled to it, for she had always been the story teller. "And so, terror spread far and wide keeping masses awake at the darkest hours before the dawn"

"And amidst this all, an alpha was born," He heard her smile, "the spawn of satan himself but with a heart of gold. He was different. Born to save, born to serve, born to protect. Protect, he did but at an expensive cost, his dear omega"

"Blinded with grief and conquered by rage, he summoned all five elements to a singular light ball, a light that no darkness could stand before and so did irul shrivel into oblivion," Her voice fluctuated tones of fright and anger, "Nowhere to be found again, irul was claimed to have died in the battle"

"That night, darkness eroded, leaving in wake the brightest dawn in over a decade, but not for the alpha. He still saw red. He still seeked justice, " She added a dramatic pause like she always did, "Justice for the entire town danced in joy but for he alone weeped with his once warm omega, pale and lifeless in his arms"

"He weeped and grieved, and days passed, " If Taehyung didn't know better, he would have believed that she was on the verge of tears, "and days turned to weeks and soon the alpha was a forgotten cause"

"Weeks after a heart wrenching howl of agony, the town saw him again. But this time, he was no protector, for the protector was long gone with his omega," Her hand stopped weaving through his locks, "This was a beast that held within wrath and fury and a thirst for blood to all the unjust he had to pay as they all danced in joy"

A shiver ran though his spine and his own purple eyes flashed before his eyes.

"And they all paid, with flesh and blood and screams and tears, "

"Finally the creator of this anomaly, petrified with it's consequences, granted him just, ending his misery, " She sighed sorrowfully, "And in the wrath of the moon, he saw his omega. His last words calling out for his 'bercahaya'-his protector, his love, his light and his only dearest omega"

To think he once wished to be Bercahaya-the protector's protector, when he himself was something that needs to be protected from.

"Every hundredth uvagai, Irul rises again. Each time a darker shade of misery. And for every time he rose, he had a protector to put him in a long long slumber of hundred years up until the next uvagai hundred years after, " Her voice lulled down to a soft murmur like it always did, " Only at the cost of their omegas. No matter whatever they'd do, they were fated to lose them. Then wounded in grief, bound by rage, the protectors wrecked disasters until the moon goddess would descend to seize their spirit wolf, leaving the alphas to die in their absence"

Why the Kim Taehyung-Is it because he was also a beast in disguise of protector?

"It is chosen by the moon, to decide who shall be the next protector. The seized spirit wolf set free, each time turning stronger, " She read, her hand now resuming their walk through his Raven locks, " But for an invincible wolf, they paid the cost of their omegas-"

"And normalcy, " He mumbled, wondering why it left his mouth just to realise he had no more control over his mouth now, either.

"Taehyung-"

"Am I not normal, mother? " He shouldn't have asked, because the moment he did her face fell. Before she interrupted with a very familiar and nostalgic reply-

"No, you're special, Taehyung"

"Why me, mother? "

"Huh?" Her eyes flitted amongst his eyes and he feared if they were by any chance purple now.

"Why out of all the people, Kim Taehyung had to be special, mother? "

"Because Kim Taehyung was chosen to be one," She smiled, one midway between mirthful and sad, "Not every stone that shines can become a diamond, son"

"What if I just want to be a stone, then?" Maybe he did. Or maybe he wouldn't if he does become one. But what Taehyung wanted today was answers.

"Even diamond is a stone," She replied, the smile still intact but more sorrowful, "if only you'd look closely, son"

"No one does, " He replied, shaking his head, "and I couldn't "

"Does the worth of a diamond become any less just because it doesn't know of it's shine, Taehyung? " She asked, maybe expecting an answer or maybe not. He didn't quite know, so he quietly shook his head.

"Being chosen wasn't a choice for you, " She replied, patting his hair with guilt brimming her eyes, " Am so sorry it wasn't, but i wish you'd know your worth unlike the diamond, son"

"Don't be sorry, mother, " He replied, deciding against replying to the last line, "neither were you given a choice if I could be chosen or not "

She only reply with tears down her cheeks, which was odd, because she always had an answer ready for him. He wished he read tears, but then how could he when he didn't want his own to be read. So he just simply held a thumb and wiped them off clear. Not minding when a few more followed.

"You're so special, Taehyung, " She replied finally, voice wavering under the tears, "So very special to me "

"Am glad I could be," he said, wiping another incoming tear. He didn't know why he was, maybe because it won't be too long until he won't be or maybe it won't be too long before he couldn't be.

"Rest well, mother, " He declared, wiping the last of her tears, watching himself do so within her hazel orbs. "I shall take my leave now"

"So do you, " She replied, eyes never leaving his, "you look like you need it too"

"I will, " He pulled a smile, unsure if he really could but it didn't hurt to lie when she returned a smile, eyes still glossed from the tears. So he continued, turning around from the exit to mouth a small 'don't cry' while pretending to wipe tears off his own eyes.

♛┈⛧┈♛

He didn't lie when he said he had nowhere to run to. Because back from his mother's chambers, he was standing before his.

Contemplating possibilities like what if Jung hyuk had already slept? What if he had ran away? What if the other had just chose to inform the town of his....condition? Would jung hyuk do that?

Ever since he deemed himself abnormal at nine, and deserted any company- even a pet squirrel of sorts, he hadn't had a companion like the alpha. One who could teach him the power of words and also the joy of their absence.

Back then, abnormal had a different meaning. One that his mother never answered to. He vaguely remembers hearing from one of the palace caretakers that he used to bring heavy downpours, or shatter things when he was pissed off.

He mostly remembers the time after that, when he rarely felt rage, and even if he did, it would only make him short of breath teaching him the art of walking off. Something felt off when his pet squirrel refused to come near him, and he deserted company ever since. Then the abnormal changed to just....empty.

But all of the normalcy, that came with a full packed schedule as the co-general in command, he traded it with a void. A heavy emptiness that clung to him, like he clung to normalcy. He fend it all off calling them the 'fruits of normalcy' only to stay awake all night and wonder if it was normal to.

Then much of everything went by in a blur until all his barely built hopes of normalcy came crashing down. Crashing down when even after his sixteenth birthday, his spirit wolf refused to reach out. He tried, birthday after birthday, waiting and training and trying until his mother preponed his coronation and instead of twenty, he tasted the throne two years earlier.

Funny how life worked with the chosen.

His wolf was yet to reach out to him and his normalcy was yet to be called "normal"

When he mustered enough courage to open the door, a familiar sight welcomed him. Jung hyuk sitting by the window sill, counting stars? trees? He wasn't quite sure. But this wasn't certainly one among those reactions he expected from the alpha.

"You're back? " Taehyung wasn't certain if it was a question or a statement, but going with the former he hummed.

"It's late, you should sleep, " Jung hyuk murmured turning around to meet his eyes. Taehyung couldn't meet his, so he hummed again in affirmative.

Silence. But it was too loud in his head, so he decided to break it.

"Why haven't you? " Maybe poor choice of question, but as long it wasn't silent, he was fine.

"Couldn't sleep," Came the reply. Predicted, if you'd ask Taehyung because, his own shut eyes were haunted by purple ones.

He suddenly felt sorry. So sorry for the alpha. For having put him through whatever he did from the peck to this wreck. Truth be said, Taehyung still had no idea on why his eyes were purple, what was the fire that almost burnt him inside out and what had it gotta do with the absence of the usual void in his heart. He realised the latter had been that way since Jung hyuk sloshed in it the wine of warmth. He assumed it was one of long overdue longing for companionship.

"Am sorry, " He blurted out, knowing not how or how not to stall the topic. But he decided, he won't run away today despite how much ever his legs yearn and how ever sincere his rationale pleaded.

"What for? " Jung hyuk wasn't easily readable, and the most obscure would be his eyes. They were pools of endless black with stars that shone past any lamp. But, as inscrutable as his eyes were, so were his locked jaw, perfectly raised brow and chapped lips drawn to frown.

"Everything? From that peck to this wreck, " He replied, pointing at the shattered mirror and cracked wall.

"You regret it? " Jung hyuk questioned back, like he always did. Taehyung refused to not have noticed that.

"Regret what? " He asked back, because as much as the alpha asked questions he had answers too.

"That peck," Jung hyuk answered, getting up from his seat, "And this wreck"

Did he?

He doubted if he regretted the peck because it made him realise two things. One, Jung Hyuk's lips were a lot softer than he imagined and the second, he liked it. But afraid if it was a wrong move- which he realised pretty late- he pretended to have forgotten whatever happened that night.

But he was certain he regretted this wreck because, this too made him realise two things. One, he was a monster and the second, there was a high possibility of losing whatever normalcy he had left in his life. Like serving the people of Kaatru, enjoying brotherly privileges with Ryejin, being special to his mother, Jung Hyuk's companionship, etc.

"Maybe not the former but certainly the latter," He replied, glancing at the broken shards of mirror and his own broken reflection in them. He couldn't lie today, atleast not before Jung hyuk.

"Don't apologize for things you don't regret, " The alpha said, breaking the short silence as he walked towards him. He wondered why but didn't ask. Not because he didn't want to but because he didn't have to.

" Do you regret it? " Taehyung asked, turning around to lock eyes with Jung hyuk. Shivering when he noticed the mere arm length's between them. "The peck, and this wreck"

"I would never regret either, " He replied without a moment of hesitation, "the peck, this wreck or meeting you....even your purple eyes"

"Why? " Taehyung whispered, wondering why there was always a dearth of air in his lungs when it came to being around the alpha.

"Like I said, you're an unrivaled anomaly, my king," The alpha gave a smile as warm as his mother's, "Special to be specific"

"Why? " He asked, again a windy whisper. It wasn't often when Taehyung ran out of words, but today it felt like nothing except his 'whys' made sense.

"Because it's you, my king, " Jung hyuk replied, like it was obvious. His eyes speaking so much Taehyung couldn't decipher. He never could.

"Why me? " Certainly only his 'whys' made sense tonight.

"Why can't it be you, my king? " The alpha smiled again, but Taehyung wondered if it ever left.

"Aren't you the protector? Shouldn't you be knowing why? "

A hearty chuckle, and the familiar wine of warmth in his heart.

"So are you the king, so should you be knowing why, " Jung hyuk announced following the chuckle. Maybe it was the playful smile or the reply itself which made Taehyung tug his own lips up.

He was terrified, just moments ago. Of turning into a beast in all of their eyes including Jung hyuk's. But locking gazes with the latter, a fluid smile on his lips, maybe he wondered if he could stall this.
This gaze. This smile. This moment with Jung hyuk.

He walked closer, the arm length distance seemingly too far from the alpha. He noticed the alpha inch forward too, and smiled wider.

"You shouldn't be this close to me," He murmured moments later, suddenly mindful of everything between them,"Not after witnessing what am capable of"

"You know the legend," Jung hyuk replied, smile falling, moving closer, " So shouldn't you be "

"You aren't capable of harm," Taehyung immediately defended, "not atleast now"

"You know when, then why?"

"I trust you," Taehyung replied, "that's why"

"You trust me? A liar?" Jung hyuk enquired pointing a hand at himself. Doing so as the other's elbow grazed his own robe, Taehyung realised how close they were. And though it was closer than necessary, it felt necessary to stay close. So he did.

"You're healer before a liar," He smiled back, "You won't hurt me till you want to. Would you?"

And in that proximity, all Taehyung suddenly wanted was to run his fingers across the alpha's chiselled jaw, acknowledging the little scar on his left cheek as they would do so. Then he would drag them across the pair of meticulous brows before trailing them down to tap at the tiny mole carefully crafted right at the tip of his nose.

"Never," Jung hyuk's reply drew his attention to his lips, inevitably then the other mole below.

Shifting to those decoying galaxies he then challenged, "Not even when my eyes are purple? "

"No"

"You know that's not normal, right?"

"I do"

"You know am capable of harm, right?"

"I do"

"Then why aren't you scared of me? "

"Because, again it's you, my king, " He smiled, "I can never be scared of you "

"Why not? "

"Because you are scared enough for both of us, and I don't have to," Jung hyuk replied, as if it was obvious. But Taehyung couldn't accept it as it was.

"Tomorrow morning I will declare the state of your innocence," He informed, gulping a lump down his throat, "You need not be my hostage, when I myself am capable of harm"

The alpha didn't reply, only locked his jaw. So he continued, "I might be asking too much, but I hope you won't inform of my...... abnormality to anyone. I have to stay with my people, when it's uvagai. I'm sorry, but I hope you'd understand, Jung hyuk"

Tears pricked at his eyes, but he blinked them back. Not like letting them free would erase all of the past couple of hours to return to the "normal" he had.

The alpha's locked jaw turned tighter, frown seeming to have deepened. Taehyung was just about to retire to his chambers when Jung hyuk replied.

"I shall stay here, my king, " Jung hyuk asserted. "And you need not worry of informing others, you too have a secret of mine, and I owe you one for that"

"You don't owe me anything, jung hyuk, " Taehyung ruled out, switching to a tone colder, "The least I can do is spare you without harm when I can, so leave at dawn. I shall send a letter to the king of neer to offer you recruitment, so you need not have to worry of food and shelter-"

"You gave me a choice, and I decided against it," Jung hyuk interrupted, and Taehyung wanted to scream at him for making this harder than it was. "And I shall be no one's hostage other than your special one, my king"

"You won't-aren't anyone's hostage anymore, " Taehyung declared, hoping he sounded more colder than the weather outside, "You can work under the king of neer without having to be held hostage by anyone anymore and-"

"What if I want to be one? What if I want to retain my special hostage privileges? What if I want to be your special hostage, then, your highness?" The alpha's voice held an urgency that made him want to ask 'why' once more. But if the answer is at his own hands, he didn't want or have to, he just to had to reply-

"Then hostages don't have a choice, you will stay as long as I want you to "

"Then I don't want a choice, I will stay as long as you want me to," Jung hyuk's lips twitched a small smile, that he couldn't help but return one. "My king"

"You're stubborn," He remarked, with a smile refusing to leave.

"I would still be no match to you, your highness," Jung hyuk replied, and Taehyung realised the lost space and subtle height difference between them, sadly him being a little shorter than the alpha.

"Are you calling the king stubborn now? " He raised a brow, tilting his chin so he could look up at the alpha's playful smile.

"Yes," The alpha replied, flashing that goofy grin he wore around him, "special hostage privileges "

"What else do these privileges have in store? Teasing me? proffering nicknames? Holding me hostage inst-"

"You talk too much," And a familiar hand wrapped around his waist like it was just meant to be there and it did. Right when they did, a pair of lips grazed his own, like the subtle whisper of winter howl with the windless warmth of pre-summer.

It came and went by like the autumn breeze, leaving him shivering with tingles down his veins. The cold was suddenly all too prominent on his lips, when the alpha retracted his own, making it winter there. "Special hostage privileges has a lot more like this in store"

Taehyung had never felt more curious in his life, so he breathed out a barely audible, "what more? "

Then a pair of lips latched to his, like a moth drawn to fire. He wasn't sure who was the moth here, but it sure was fire when sparks flew down his spine tingling his remnant curiosity for what more they could offer. So he opened his mouth, breathing in as he did so, not because he wanted to, hell, air was the last thing he needed then. But, because he had to, to feel what it felt like to be the moth. Or the fire.

Soon as he took a breath in, the alpha's lips weren't grazing over his lips instead slotted into his own. Like they were meant to fit there and they did. He felt the bow of Jung hyuk's fine upper lip, juxtaposing the fuller, yet chapped bottom one. All he could think of was his lips and the fire of a bazillion sparks. He wondered if this is what it felt like to be the moth.

Then their tongues met, and breaths mingled, leaving a trail of pleasant tingles. Somewhere amidst this all, one of his hands had flew to tug at the hair at the alpha's nape and the other held his robe in a death grip. Maybe not worried for death, but for his wobbling legs, ready to give up at any moment next.

They stole each other's breath, quite literally, when their tongues danced to what some would call fight for dominance and he would call the slow art of giving in. Because he was. He didn't struggle for dominance, he just struggled to get all of what Jung hyuk was ready to give him. All Taehyung wanted, was to take. Maybe he was the fire, drowning the moth.

He knew not when he shut his eyes, but he did know it felt like diving in a sea of Jung hyuk's wonders. He had many, from the stars to the scar, everything about him made Taehyung wonder of things he wondered he would never. A moan slipped past his lips, begging more of all he could take in. To which the alpha obediently gave, circling the arm around his waist tighter to pull him closer than they were. Like moth and fire.

He whimpered when a set of sharp teeth grazed his lips, drawing blood. He gave it too, because as much as Taehyung wanted to take, he wished to give back his all. So when their eyes flew open and lips disconnected, leaving a string of saliva, Taehyung didn't think twice before leaning on his tippy toes to connect them back. Like a moth drawn to fire. Or the fire drawing the moth.

Their breaths mingled again, and this time he breathed in the scent of rain which he realised was the alpha's. And it made him tug at the other's hair harder, making the alpha release quiet groan into his mouth, like he wasn't the fire, but the moth. So Taehyung, he gladly became the fire and tangled their tongues. It felt right, his hand tugging at the alpha's locks, the alpha's wrapped tight around his waist and their breaths entwined to one like it would be wrong any other way now.

Again their lips parted, and their eyes met, now a string of drool the only thread connecting them. It should have been gross, filthy at the most, but it felt right. He wasn't yet sure who was the fire or whoever was the moth, but he decided they were each other's moth and fire and it felt right however it was.

Then Jung hyuk smiled, and he smiled back. Because how could he not?

The silence that followed would have been one among the longest between them but when Jung hyuk decided to break it, the rest of his breath leaped out of his lungs to walk away. To the alpha.

"You're special, Kim Taehyung"

Like a moth drawn to fire, or the fire drawing the moth.

♛┈⛧┈♛

A/n: from 100 to ..... real quick-

Butt, guys it not me you should thank me, one my sis, two BTS with how much they fed us and three, that fucking moth!

And I fucking love u all! Like u all r so sweet! Why!?

And a shameless promotion of my new work:

Chapter 1 is coming soon~
Hope y'all wud like it too:)

I have nothing more to say except a deep apology for me spamming ur announcements -butt, I don't think I will stop it, coz wattfuc is my home🥺