"Lizbeth? I'm home!"
The old woman trotted towards the front door, hands full of paper slips.
"What are those?"
"Messages, Sir. Mostly from Chief Rieken, asking when you are planning on showing up at the station to update them on the case you are currently on."
Jungkook sighed (something he had been doing a lot more these days). "Any calls from Kim Taehyung?"
"No Sir. These are all I have."
The young detective wasn't sure what to make of Tae's silence. He knew he'd seen the papers. What would he think of the fact that Park Jimin's article basically portrayed Jungkook as willing to share information regarding a case with the press while at the same time, being reluctant to discuss any of it with his closest friend?
Friend?
He kept calling Taehyung his friend but his recent dates with the bachelor had proven they were a little more than that. What were they? If he was to be honest with himself, he had to admit he had no clue how to define the nature of their relationship. He reckoned this was something to determine rapidly, seeing how fast their interactions had escalated last time they met.
"Sir?" Lizbeth's voice pulled him out of his reverie.
"Yes? You were saying?"
"I was asking you whether you were planning to have dinner here tonight. Because if you are, I shall need to shop for groceries."
"I don't think that will be necessary. But let me make a few calls first."
Jungkook's long day was in fact just beginning.
♠
The sun had set when he arrived in front of the familiar gates. As night fell, so did an unpredicted rainfall. Jungkook suddenly felt rather silly, standing there under the stormy skies, before Taehyung's mansion, uninvited. And why weren't the gates opening? He scoffed at himself for thinking he was at all welcome here. He was going to turn around when he heard the unmistakable buzz-and-click sound indicating someone had granted him access to the grounds. Unconcerned about the puddles which splashed in his wake, he ran towards the front steps on top of which stood a very confused Claude. "Inspector Jeon? Were we expecting you?"
"Good evening Claude. No, no one is expecting me since I was unable to reach Taehyung all day."
"Sir, I did deliver all of your messages."
"Oh I trust you did."
Jungkook took a look at the butler's garment, a dressing gown. "I'm guessing your shift is over."
"Indeed. Lord Kim dismissed me early."
"I'm sorry for barging in like that, but I just really need to see him."
"But Sir, Lord Kim is — busy at the moment."
There was a pang in Jungkook's chest. Busy doing what? With whom? "It's past dinner time. What could keep him busy at this late hour?"
"Lord Kim hasn't left his workshop since this morning."
The detective was almost relieved. "Well, in that case, I'll just show myself in."
Claude wasn't sure what to do.
"Don't worry," said the guest. "I know my way around."
♠
To say that Jungkook had not been ready for what he saw was an understatement. As he made his way into the castle's long corridors, he could hear the bustle of the workshop from a ways down the hall. Peeking inside, his eyes grew wide. The large room looked and sounded like a firecracker festival, with machinery huffing white steam at steady paces while sparks from some soldering activity flew left and right, giving the place a somewhat warm and inviting vibe. A man, wearing leather pants and a matching gilet that showed off his arms and shoulders which glistened with sweat, was wielding a blowtorch, eyes hidden behind a pair of goggles. The fluffy brown locks, albeit a little dishevelled, gave Taehyung away.
With all that noise, how was Jungkook supposed to make his presence known? Should he just stand there and stare while waiting for the other to finish whatever it was he was working on? That would probably be the polite thing to do (apart from the staring which he considered a compensation for the wait).
But what Jungkook had forgotten to take into account was Taehyung's sixth sense. Perceiving a presence behind him, the latter spun around swiftly, welding torch still flaming, making the other jump in panic. "Shit! Jungkook! I almost turned you into a human torch!" Taehyung hissed, operating the pressure knob to cut off the gas.
He lifted his goggles and placed them on his forehead before taking off his working gloves. "What in the world are you doing here?"
Tae looked down at the floor where the other was standing. "Besides making a puddle."
Jungkook, who was still struggling with his heart rate, looked down as well and laughed. "It started raining."
"I can see that." Taehyung walked away and began turning valves. Soon enough, the steaming engines fell silent.
"I'm sorry," Jungkook said. "I didn't mean to interrupt whatever it is you're — constructing."
"No worries. It's already late."
He knew, as the intruder that he was tonight, it wasn't his place to ask any questions. But curiosity always got the best of Jungkook. "May I ask what you're working on?"
Tae smirked. "You may, but I might not tell you."
"Why not?"
"I'm building something for you actually."
"For me?" He hadn't seen that coming.
"Remember our lunch on the blimp?"
Jungkook nodded, cheeks flushing. How could he possibly forget?
"I couldn't help but notice you didn't enjoy the ride very much."
Jungkook looked confused.
"I mean the flying."
"Well, it was my first time in the air."
"Would you fly again then?"
"—"
"With me?"
"Possibly?" was the best answer Jungkook could come up with, as the thought of finding himself high above the clouds still made him feel slightly dizzy.
Taehyung flashed a smile. "Perfect! That means I haven't worked for nothing!"
That's when Tae's stomach growled. Jungkook stared at him with both amusement and concern in his eyes. "Have you not eaten?"
As if on cue, his own belly rumbled. It was Tae's turn to laugh. "Have you?"
The other shook his head, suddenly remembering why he came here in the first place. "I wanted to have dinner with you. I left messages — you never returned my calls."
"I'm sorry. I tend to forget about the time when I'm working." Perking up, Tae added, "we could still have dinner together!"
"Here? But how? You've dismissed your staff."
"So? I know my way around a kitchen."
"Do you now?" Jungkook teased playfully.
"Are you putting my cooking skills to the test?"
"I don't even know my way around my own kitchen, which I bet is ten times smaller than yours."
"What would you do without your housekeeper?" asked Taehyung, voice laced with feigned consideration.
"I guess I'd have you to feed me," Jungkook replied with a smirk.
"Am I to understand you are willing to give my cooking a chance?"
"As long as you wash up before you put that apron on."
Taehyung raised a brow. "Sounds like a sight you'd enjoy."
"W-what?" Jungkook shivered. Was it due to the dark glow he detected in Tae's eyes, or to the fact that he was still soaking wet, his damp clothes sticking uncomfortably to his now numb body?
The other's intense stare suddenly turned into a horrified look, as he pressed his hand to Jungkook's forehead.
"W-what is it?"
"Your lips are blue and you're feverish. We need to get you warm. Now."
—
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