~16:32~
Jimin floats in the 0g. The artificial gravity is busted due to their rather-quick escape, so he floats, his back arched and his eyes closed. His head is tilted back, the light of his room glowing on his skin. He still feels numb. He doesn't know what to do, or what to say, or even who to talk to. The Engineer couldn't bring himself to go into Namjoon's quarters, so for now, he stays inside the Executive Officer's quarters. Another decision Jimin will have to make. Who will be his Executive Officer?
The thought of making such decisions makes him sick, but it's what Namjoon would have wanted. So, he thinks about it. Who would be the best fit? There's Seulgi with her high rank and professionalism, there's Hoseok with his cheerfulness and ability to adapt and solve problems, there's Baekhyun with his quick thinking and funny personality... and there's also Y/N. Her being an XO might show bias, but at the same time, she's qualified. She's put her life on the line many times for the crew, and she's a natural leader. Jimin opens his eyes, sighing. These kinds of decisions will have to wait.
There's a knock at his door, but he doesn't have the strength to talk. Whoever is there lets themselves in. "You know, you might get a cramp from doing that," Jungkook says. Jimin's slightly surprised the Intelligence Officer came to see him, but he's also secretly happy about it.
Jimin reluctantly floats down, not quite touching the ground, but hovering a few feet away from Jungkook. They stare at each other for a few moments before Jungkook parts his lips. "How are you?" he asks.
"Horrible."
"Yeah. Yeah, I think you're not alone there."
Jimin frowns. "I know we're kind of just hovering outside of Triton, but I don't want to look over the data yet." Jungkook hums in agreement. "I'm not doing anything until we have a funeral for Namjoon," Jimin whispers.
"You have no idea how much of a relief it is to hear you say that."
Jimin raises a brow. "Really?"
"I was going to suggest waiting until we honor Namjoon. It's... I don't know, it..."
"Feels like the right thing to do?" Jimin finishes.
"Yeah." Jungkook sniffles, floating in the air and glancing down. His hands clasp together and fiddle over each other, Jungkook refusing to meet Jimin's eyes.
"How are you?" Jimin asks, leaning forward and allowing his body to drift closer to the boy.
"I just got him back. After months of feeling alone, seeing his face again? It gave me hope."
Jimin bites back more tears. Namjoon gave them all hope. "He was a great man. The best of us," Jimin adds. After a brief moment of silence, Jungkook clears his throat.
"He picked a good man to lead us, too."
Jimin's whole body stiffens, the artificial oxygen halting inside his lungs until it suffocates him. "No. No, I'll never be even half the leader Namjoon was. I... we need him."
Jungkook rests his hand on Jimin's shoulder, causing Jimin to lock eyes with the younger boy. "Maybe, but he chose you. Not me, not Baekhyun, not Seulgi: you. That means something. I can see it, everyone can. You're the best leader we have. You care so deeply about others, and Joon saw that in you."
Jimin tears his eyes away. "I miss him."
Jungkook's lips twitch into a frown. "So do I. Only time can heal us, but Jimin..." Jimin peeks up at his words, noticing the serious expression hiding inside Jungkook's pained irises. "If you ever need anything, anything at all, I'm here. I know we met not too long ago, and we haven't always been on the best of terms, but-"
Jimin cuts him off by leaning forward and wrapping his arms around the boy, bringing him close. Jungkook lets out a breath, returning the embrace. Jimin's heartbeat manages to slow, his body relaxing while in Jungkook's embrace. He may not know Jungkook crazy well, but everything Jungkook has done so far has impressed Jimin. Dealing with enhancements, the distraction, the broadcast, and now, with comforting Jimin.
There's another knock on the door, and Jimin pulls away. Jungkook gives the Engineer a nod, turning around and floating towards the door. "I'll set up the funeral. Let's shoot for an hour from now. How about we wait to do anything with the body?" Jungkook asks, and Jimin agrees.
"I think we should bury him on Earth."
Jungkook freezes for a beat, his eyes bulging ever so slightly. "That's a great idea, Jimin." Jungkook is about to press the button to open the door, then sighs, giving Jimin one last stare. "Take care of yourself," he says before opening the entrance and floating past a startled Y/N.
Once he's out of sight, Y/N comes inside, closing the door behind her. "Hey," she whispers, and Jimin finds the strength to smile.
"Hey," he whispers back. "How's the gunshot?"
She shrugs, tapping her chest. "Nothing redoing the stitches can't heal. It hurts, but I'll get over it."
They peer at each other for a few seconds before she gives in. She floats over to him, and he welcomes her presence, reaching out his hand as she comes closer. She takes it, and he pulls her up against his chest, the force of her body hitting his knocking him back. He's no longer vertical to the ground, rather horizontal with Y/N curled up against his chest and not minding the change in direction.
"Y/N," he starts, and she hums. "I missed you," he whispers. Right away, she leans up and pressing her lips against his. The kiss only lasts a few seconds, but it's enough to bring Jimin the warmth he needed. She pulls back, then lets her hand go up to his cheek, her thumb massaging the skin there.
"Jimin," she says, her tone dropping to a murmur that threatens to break.
"Is everything okay?" he asks.
"Nothing is okay, absolutely nothing," she replies. "My father is still out there, I thought you died, and Namjoon..." She trails off, biting her lower lip and averting her eyes. "Jimin, I'm so, so sorry. I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through."
At her words, he brings his hand to her cheek, mimicking her actions by using his thumb to massage her skin. "Don't worry about me. I'll be okay. It'll take time, but Namjoon pushed through when Captain Kwon died. He'd want me to do the same."
Although his heart is in immense pain, he knows he needs to do all he can to honor Namjoon's memory. It's the least he can do. After all, Namjoon did save his life on more than one occasion. Just by choosing Jimin to go see the Blackwell, that saved his life.
Y/N seems hesitant, as if searching for the right words to say. "You don't have to say anything, having you here is enough," he whispers.
There's a few beats of quiet. Their gazes meet each other's, and her eyes soften. "Jimin, it's okay to cry," she whispers back.
He does. He breaks down in front of her, Namjoon's last moments replaying in his mind over and over again. Y/N hugs him, holding him close and rubbing his back in an attempt to comfort him.
Jimin holds her closer than ever before, cherishing her warmth and letting himself go. Having her here, it may not take away the pain, but it helps. He lets himself cry, floating horizontally in the air with Y/N curled up against him. Jimin has never been so lost in his life. He lost the closest thing to a father he had, and now he's expected to lead a crew through the most important part of their lives.
How did his life get like this?
~17:39~
The entire crew is silent, gathered in the medbay around Namjoon's body. Jimin insisted on a funeral before coming up with a plan, and you don't blame him. Jungkook did a lot of the prep, but after half an hour of you and Jimin floating in his room, the new Captain insisted on helping. You glance over at Jimin, who's standing in front of the bed where Namjoon's body lies, a white sheet covering him. Jimin managed to fix the gravity before the ceremony, just so Namjoon's body doesn't float away.
The room's lights are dim, candles lit and placed everywhere. No one's really sure what to say. Jimin stands there, trembling and taking slow, shallow breaths. You've never seen him like this. Granted, you've only known him about a month now, but still. He seems really off. You understand Namjoon and him were close, but you aren't sure how to feel about this.
Your eyes find themselves landing on Namjoon's unmoving body. The tears in your eyes almost burn. You let out a shaky breath, trying to control yourself. Namjoon was more than a great man: he was amazing. A great leader, a good friend, and one of the kindest people you've ever met. It's no surprise that him and Jimin got along so well. They both care about others more than themselves. You'd say that about almost everyone here, but Jimin and Namjoon were the two with that trait as their strongest.
Taehyung and Jin are here as well, paying their respects. You feel bad for Taehyung. He leaves Triton only to be brought into more misery. The Moonchild was supposed to be an escape for him, but now it's turning into a prison. You look over at him, but his eyes are on the ground. Even if he didn't know Namjoon, it's hard to go to a funeral and feel nothing.
Jimin clears his throat, trying to speak, but is at a loss for words. He stutters for a few seconds, choking up on his words. You're about to step in when Jungkook beats you to the punch.
"Kim Namjoon was more than just a Captain, he was a friend. To everyone. He always sought the peaceful solution. He wanted nothing more than to save lives and keep his crew safe," Jungkook says, heading over to Jimin and standing next to him. Jimin gives the Intelligence Officer a grateful look as he continues.
"I took him under my wing. I'll never forget those days. He kept me company, and whenever I was down, he would get me banana milk and tell me that everything would be okay." Jungkook pauses to chuckle. "I'll never forget what he's done for me, and how he shaped me as a person. I know I wouldn't be who I was today without him. I may have taken him under my wing, but I feel like I learned more from him than he did from me."
Jungkook clears his throat, tears welling up in his eyes. "I'll miss you, Captain Kim Namjoon. Everyone will. Your sacrifice will not go down in vane, I can promise you that." Jungkook places his hand on the side of the bed, staring at the fallen man for a few more seconds before sniffling and moving away, giving Jimin space.
"Thank you, Jungkook," Jimin whispers, fiddling with his fingers before finding the courage to go a bit closer to Namjoon. "Does anyone else wish to speak?"
"I'll miss you, Namjoon," Seulgi says.
"Thank you for being such a good Captain," Baekhyun adds.
"You always kept me smiling, even when I thought I couldn't," Hoseok says with his voice nearing a crack, folding his hands together.
You suck down your fear. "Thank you for being you, Namjoon."
There's a brief moment of silence before Jimin parts his lips. "Thank you for coming. We'll make sure to circle back to Earth to bury him there." The crew somberly nods. "Take all the time you need and visit at any time," Jimin adds, wiping one of his tears away. It takes all your strength not to run up to him and wipe them away yourself, but you know that he needs his own time. There's only so much you can do.
After another few moments, Jimin sighs. "When Namjoon... when he shot the fuel, and everything went white, I went to him. He spoke to me and I think that everyone should know his last words. He said to let the crew know that they're the best thing that ever happened to him. Those were his last words. He was always thinking of you, even at the end." He pauses, glancing over at Namjoon. Jimin places a hand on Namjoon's covered head and closes his eyes. "Ave atque vale. Goodbye, my friend."
You play with your fingers, starting to tear up. On instinct, you try to bite them back. Honestly, you know you won't be able to stop them, but you don't know what else you can do. You peek around for a moment before making the decision to leave.
Your legs bring you out of the room, hearing someone call your name. Without even thinking, you ignore it, throwing a hand over your mouth to muffle your sob. A small sound comes out of your mouth as tears roll down your cheeks. Your body keeps moving, storming towards the main ladder and not looking back.
You stand in the bay, leaning against the ladder and peering at the forcefield for a moment. Jimin still hasn't fixed the door, but with everything that has happened over the past few days, it hasn't exactly been a priority. Funny how some of the most trivial things pop up in your mind when you're trying to distract yourself.
You lean against the ladder for a few more moments before deciding to move, placing your hands on it and preparing to climb. "Y/N, wait," Jimin says from behind you. You sigh, then remove your hands from the ladder and turn towards him. He's certainly looked better, then again, so have you. He approaches, a tear rolling down his cheek.
"I'm sorry Jimin, I didn't mean to run away like that. It's just... I guess I didn't really process it until now," you say, then pause. "Namjoon's gone. He's really gone."
He comes closer, and you let him, not budging. You slouch, sniffling and peeping up when he approaches you. He stops only a few inches away, his face centimeters from yours. "Don't apologize, everyone understands. Can I..." He trails off, biting his lower lip. You raise a brow. "Can I stay with you?" he asks, his voice barely reaching a whisper. You lean up and kiss him in response. He isn't shocked; in fact, he leans into it, gently pressing his palm against your cheek. You pull back after a few seconds, giving him a nod.
"You don't even have to ask."
~18:57~
Jimin lets out a breath, playing with the data chip placed on his right hand. His left arm is a little preoccupied with Y/N next to him. She's sound asleep, her head resting against his bare chest. He has his arm around her, keeping her close.
She has one of his shirts on; he loves it. It gives him much needed joy. He gazes down at her, studying her peaceful form. It's hard to think that about an hour ago, she hit a low point, crying and begging for Namjoon to come back. He held her, letting her speak. Now he's alone in her room while she rests, taking a well deserved nap.
Jimin flips the data chip in his hand over and over again. He needs to know what went down on Triton. He needs to. He doesn't want to disturb Y/N though, so he moves over to her nightstand, hoping she has earbuds somewhere. Every room comes with a set; he hopes she didn't move them.
The new Captain quietly leans over, opening the drawer on the nightstand, rifling through it before he feels a case. He lets out a mental cheer before pulling the wireless earbuds out of the drawer and closing it. He connects them to the chip and activates it, putting the earbuds in each correct ear. There's a small hologram, but he turns down the brightness, scrolling through the files until he finds the 'communications' tab. He opens it and starts from the beginning. At first there's static. Then, voices can be heard.
"Shuttle A3BHG, you are cleared for landing." There's some more static. "Shuttle GAHK4, you are cleared for takeoff." There's more commands like this, but Jimin listens closely for any abnormalities. Then, the tape skips to a day later. "This is Commanding Officer Min Yoongi of Triton Communications, doing a routine comm check. Sending this message out to the closest civilization. Please respond letting us know you can hear us." More shuttle clearances after that. The tape skips to the next day once again.
"Thank you for responding, we read you back loud and clear. Comms seem to be online, thank you," the man, Min Yoongi, says. Then, more shuttle clearances. This pattern goes on for several tapes until finally there seems to be a change in pace. About a month and a half ago, comms went dead for one full day. The tape skips over that day. There's more static. Jimin almost sits up, trying to hear what's next, but he doesn't in fear of waking Y/N.
There's panting followed by a low voice. "This is Commanding Officer Min Yoongi of Triton Communications. Something is here on Triton. A ship named the Blackwell carried it in. I have no idea what it is, but it came from that station. The one carrying those crazy scientists. What the hell is it called? Kepler. Kepler Station. They've been experimenting, trying to create something. My team and I are evacuating, we're going to go investigate. If anyone can hear this message, please respond immediately, and send help to Triton. My people are dying, and those scientists are going to pay."
Jimin's eyes bulge, panic creeping up his spine. As if this day hasn't been hard enough, now he has to deal with this. He keeps playing through the tapes, but there's nothing for three whole days. Then, the fourth day hits, and there's loud static and heavy breathing.
"Help us! Please! Help us, get us out of here! We're on the fiftieth floor of the Comm Spire! Please!" a frantic male voice cries with banging audible in the background. "It's here! Please! Kill me!"
Then, the pounding gets so loud it's impossible to ignore. Jimin furrows his brows, listening closely. He hears the door give away, and the man screams. After a few seconds of screaming, there's a noise. A low, clicking noise. Similar to a cricket at night, but much lower and faster than that. The screaming is cut off, and the noise is the only audible thing in the clip. There's a bang. The tape goes silent.
Jimin throws the earbuds off, turning the clip off and nearly slamming the chip on the nightstand, panting. Whatever that thing was, it was not what he and Namjoon encountered in the spire.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Y/N groggily asks. Jimin kisses the top of her head, and she leans into his touch.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he whispers.
She grins. "Are you kidding? You're the best thing to wake up to." He softens hearing her words, gripping the back of her head and leaning down, pressing his lips against hers.
She leans into the kiss, moving her lips with his. He speeds things up, guiding her back to hit the bed, his body dominating hers. He kisses her passionately, sucking on her lower lip as his pulse increases. He closes his eyes, pulling back for a moment to switch sides, their noses bumping against each other's. That only makes them smile before going right back at it.
He savors the taste of her sweet lips, how smoothly they run over his, the way her body reacts to him. Jimin loves the way she melts against him. He holds her hand against her chest, poking his tongue against her lips, even nibbling on her lower lip to beg for entrance. To his surprise, she grants it, and he slips his tongue inside.
Jimin swirls his tongue around her mouth while focusing on still kissing her fiercely. They stay like this for several more seconds before Jimin feels a burn in his chest, and he pulls back, panting. A string of saliva connects their tongues. At the sight, Jimin feels his face heat up.
She returns the expression, panting with him. "Holy shit," Jimin whispers.
"Holy shit is right," she whispers back. "So, you want to tell me what that was about?" she adds, and Jimin shakes his head before distracting her, placing his lips back on hers. She welcomes the distraction, wrapping her arms around his body and letting her hands climb up to his hair, tugging on his dark locks.
He groans at her actions, feeling tightness in his pants. It's this that makes him stop. He pulls back, catching his breath. "Now are you going to tell me?" she asks, raising a brow.
After running a hand through his long hair, he finds the will to speak. "I have a lead."
Her eyes jump open. "A lead?"
"I went through the comm logs. The commanding officer seems to think that the Blackwell was from a station named Kepler. I've never heard of it though. I don't know how we'd get there if we don't know where it is." Y/N stays dead quiet, her seeming to zone out. "Y/N, what is it?"
"Kepler, that's not too far from here."
"You know where Kepler is?" Jimin asks, stroking her cheek. Despite his attempts to comfort her, she keeps her eyes away from his, chewing on her lips for a beat too long.
"I'd certainly hope so. It's where my father was born."