sea-kissed 🌊 || j.jk+k.th

{17} adventure 🌊

A few hours later, as promised, Taehyung came back ready to swim with Jungkook.

Jungkook had put away the highchair and the flag, and changed from his lifeguard uniform to a regular swim trunk. While waiting for the boy, he wondered why Taehyung had invited him for a swim. Was it common in Gimyong for young people to gather on the beach and swim after a day of work ? Probably not, he thought, and there weren't that many young people anyway. Most probably, it was just Taehyung's idea ; he was beginning to understand he was a little out of the ordinary, and not only because he liked to pour bottled water over his own head. Most people would usually give up on Jungkook's morose and asociable self, but people in this town seemed to have an unusually high tolerance for young men in existential crisis.

As Jungkook was thinking about it all, Taehyung suddenly appeared behind him with an excited smile.

"Are you ready ?" He asked with enthusiasm.

"I guess I am. But I'm not sure if I can catch up with you, you swim ridiculously fast."

Until a few hours earlier Jungkook had been pretty confident about his swimming skills ; confidence which had immediately crumbled to the ground upon seeing Taehyung racing underwater.

"Don't worry, I'll pace my rythm so you can follow me. I invited you so that we could swim together, after all. And seeing how fit you are..."

Taehyung's eyes imperceptibly made their way down and up Jungkook's body.

"... I'm sure you'll do fine."

Embarrassed, Jungkook looked away from the boy as he undressed, once again, down to his swimwear. Taehyung then looked into Jungkook's eyes and lifted an eyebrow, as if challenging him.

"Let's see what this body of yours can do," he whispered loud enough for Jungkook to hear, and without another word, he jumped into the water.

• • •

No matter how hard he tried, there was no way Jungkook could keep up. His arms reached as far as they could, his legs pushed as hard as they could ; and yet Taehyung was always in front of him, effortlessly gliding and swirling. One moment he was close, calmly looking ahead of him, his hair moving in rhythm with his body ; the next he was swimming far ahead, and deep, as if the pressure didn't bother him, as if it was where he belonged -deep in the folds of the dark blue sea.

It was almost magical. Jungkook couldn't tell how long they had been swimming -it was taking everything in him to try to catch up to Taehyung, and he couldn't think about anything else. Whenever he opened his eyes, he was met with infinite blue through which shone the last rays of sunlight, and every once in a while, Taehyung would turn back to look at him, and smile. He wasn't sure which was more blinding.

After a moment, Taehyung signaled him to meet with him at the surface. Jungkook followed, and took a few deep breaths as soon as the air reached his lungs.

"This is... exhausting !" He exclaimed when he was able to speak.

"It is. But isn't it amazing ? Just look around you !" Taehyung smiled.

Jungkook did as he was told. All around him, there was nothing but water. Stretching before and behind him, the sound of the waves coming from everywhere, the sea was swallowing the golden rays of the sun. It was beautiful.

Turning around, Jungkook looked back to the shore. It was... awfully far. How did they manage to swim out that far ? Jungkook thought it was almost scary -if something happened along the way, no one could come up to them to rescue them, not that far... The sound of his voice would probably die in the arms of the waves.

But the thought disappeared when he felt Taehyung's hands over his.

"There's something I want to show you. Can you take a deep, deep breath for me ?"

Jungkook nodded, and filled his lungs with as much air as he could. One second later, Taehyung was taking him to the deep waters.