“So make sure you don’t take the path littered with cobblestones,” Taehyung said as he finished wrapping a slice of yesterday’s pie. He looked over at Jungkook who had been standing in the corner of the kitchen for some time now. “Do you have everything?”

Jungkook nodded. Taehyung had given him a soft blanket and enough food to supply him for an entire day, when, in reality, all he needed was some water and a fruit or two. At least, if Jungkook were to believe he could make it to the city before nightfall.

At the door, Jungkook stopped to stare at Taehyung’s wooden shoes. Two tiger’s heads were embroidered on the toe caps with colorful, vibrant threads similar in thickness and coarseness to that of a spider’s silk. Even though Jungkook had only known Taehyung for a little over a day, he couldn’t imagine not coming home to him and those dazzling shoes.

“Hey.” Jungkook looked up. Taehyung was smiling at him. Him, of all people. Jungkook zeroed in on his earring to keep from focusing on his moist lips. “Twas nice meeting you.”

Jungkook nodded. He glanced up at Taehyung’s impeccable face. Something pushed against his chest. He realized that it was his heart.

Moments after Taehyung shut the door, Jungkook turned around to see the cottage for the final time in what he knew would be forever. He had promised himself he wouldn’t look. Jungkook opened his mouth to say Taehyung’s name but only a warble of noise escaped his chapped lips. He stood there for the length of some time before pursing his lips and with a dismissive shake of his head, venturing on into the forest.

Jungkook found himself looking out over a large plot of land when the sky erupted into a fury of pelting raindrops. He hunched over as he slapped Taehyung's crudely drawn map over his head. Without being able to see very far in front of him, Jungkook dashed off in the direction he had come in hopes of finding Taehyung's cottage for temporary shelter. Halfway there, he felt something slide into his shoe. He looked down to see he had stepped into a growing pile of mud oozing out from around a thick tree trunk. As he struggled to loosen his foot, he failed to notice that the land sloped downwards. With one last heave forward, his foot slipped out of the shoe and he tumbled forward into a shallow stream of mud and twigs of varying states of matter. By the time he realized that the thing he held balled up in his hand was Taehyung's map, the figures and letters were no longer recognizable.

Jungkook trudged to a slow before the faintly familiar stoop. He pressed his back to the cottage wall before letting gravity drag him to the floor. With a voiceless sigh, he brought his knees up to his chin. The rain continued to pour over the darkened forest. Jungkook couldn't bring himself to acknowledge the map tucked into the pit of his folded legs and so he continued looking out over the murky space, his strands of wet hair obscuring a good portion of what he could see.

The front door opened. Jungkook looked up to sew Taehyung stepping out of the cottage with an orange tabby in hand. "Look at that, Emille." Taehyung shut the door behind him. "S'raining har-"

Taehyung stopped and stared at the muddied, wet boy who sat hunched over himself in the outermost corner of his stoop. "Jungkook! Oh, my constellations."

Jungkook looked away, suddenly aware of what he must look like.

"Are you okay?" Taehyung asked as he set Emille down. "If I had known it was going to rain, I wouldn't have sent you out there."

Jungkook looked to the side. Taehyung had changed his shoes to a pair of plain beige loafers. You're not mad?

"Come on inside."

But I put your hard work to waste.

"You can take a bath while I make a soup."

But I'll get your house dirty.

"Come now. There are no evil Gofens in