sea-kissed 🌊 || j.jk+k.th

{18} deep-sea treasure 🌊

Jungkook swam as deep as he could.

Once the pressure wouldn't let him go any further, Taehyung took over ; he grabbed both his hands, and they dived, again, deeper and deeper. The water was cold, but somehow Jungkook didn't feel it ; he only felt the reassuring pulse of the current.

After what seemed like forever but only took mere seconds, they reached a part of the sea-ground that rose above the rest. If Jungkook hadn't been holding his breath, it would've been taken away.

There was... so much life here. He could've never imagined that, under the cold waters he spent hours and hours watching over, there could be so much to see. Obviously this treasure was quite well hidden -and he suspected that only Taehyung was able to reach it. Taehyung, and him, now.

Taehyung let go of one of his hands -and Jungkook felt his heart skip a beat, for fear that he would let him go back to the surface on his own-, but it was only to point to something. Jungkook followed his finger, and noticed a colony of tiny little fish, orange, and green, and blue, swimming in a pink forest of corals. Somehow, it seemed like the fish noticed them too, and they began to swim towards them.

It was incredible ; dozens, if not hundreds of little creatures came swirling around Taehyung : hiding in his hair, swimming through his fingers, bumping his cheeks and his nose. Taehyung smiled to them, and he seemed at peace with the world. The world seemed at peace with him too.

Jungkook had never seen such a heart-warming sight, nor such an enchanting scene.

After a while Taehyung pointed to him and, as if answering his command, the fish slowly began to approach him too, and he felt them tickle his skin and explore his hair. He had to keep from laughing if he wanted to stay alive, but boy was it hard to keep a straight face.

When Jungkook began to feel his body tire and his lungs aching for air, he sadly tugged on Taehyung's hand, and the boy immediately began to pull him up towards the surface. He watched behind him the little fish become smaller and smaller ; the corals become merely a pink blur ; and the sea-life disappear in the darkness.

It was only when he took the first breath of air that Jungkook realized how badly his body needed it. His vision got a little blurry, and he had to hold on to Taehyung's shoulders to stay above the water.

"Are you alright ?" Taehyung asked, worry in his voice and on his face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have kept you under the water for so long, it's my fault."

Jungkook shook his head ; he was still a little too weak to speak. Taehyung waited for him to recover and held him firmly, both hands on his waist. He seemed perfectly fine ; his breaths were calm and steady, as if he had only spent a few seconds underwater. Finally, Jungkook said :

"It's not- it's not your fault," he articulated, still a little out of breath. "I was... too captivated, I forgot I had to breathe."

"So you liked it anyway ?" Taehyung asked, hopeful.

Jungkook thought back to the sight imprinted in his memory, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Hyung, it's the best thing I've ever seen in my life."

He was sincere ; in fact he was smiling so much that his face began hurting, but he couldn't care less -he even let out an amused chuckle. He knew he'd remember the moment forever ; the peaceful undulation of the coral, the loud silence, the sunlight shimmering on the fish' scales and in Taehyung's eyes...

"I'm glad you liked it, then," Taehyung smiled back to him. "It's the first time I've seen you smile this big. If I had known, I would've brought you here sooner," he continued.

"Thank you, Hyung, for real. It was amazing. You're amazing."

Jungkook's heart was still beating in his chest from the excitement, and still pumped by the adrenaline, he hugged his hyung in the heat of the moment. Taehyung put his hands on his back, and shook his head.

"I did nothing. I only showed you what most people can't see. There is a whole another world so close to us, but nobody ever bothers swimming far enough to see it. I just thought it was a shame."

Again, Jungkook smiled.

There, in the misdt of the waves and inside Taehyung's arms, he felt at home. Truly at home.