It's been a while since Jungkook has been in space, but on earth, it's been hours. Taehyung floated to the food storage and showed no signs of struggle so far. He absolutely loved it in space and didn't care about the food he had to eat. He knew if he was in space, there was a bigger price to pay; so, Taehyung didn't complain as much as he did back on earth. The man opened the meal drawer and took out a black thin packaging with the label “DINNER” right over the bag. Inside consisted of dry steak with a smaller package of soy sauce to put over the steak, dry fruits like oranges, strawberries and grapes. To top it all off, there was a bag of nuts with cashews, peanuts, and almonds with a full bag with juice. However, this juice was very flavorless and had less of a sweet tone to it. The whole meal alone was very bland itself.
“Jungkook, you should eat something when you're hungry. I know you didn't eat anything back on earth.” The man stated and used his teeth to open the sealed bag of dinner. “I'll share mine with yours in case we run out of food…” Requested the older as Jungkook finally unstrapped himself from the seat and got up to float over to the window. “Take your helmet off, we're safe here with many tanks of oxygen. Don't waste the one in your suit until we find the B248.”
“You're right…” Jungkook replied. The tone to his plain voice sounded very calm and soft. “I was expecting someone to call me…”
“Jimin can't call you right now. It must be night time over there! Time goes really fast up here so don't wait for it. Jimin is probably going to call as soon as we reach the B248. So far, I'm not sure the rocket is moving towards it. I guess as soon as our team wakes up, they'll move the B400 towards the B248.” Taehyung added as Jungkook took his helmet off and attached it to a wire so the glass over the helmet wouldn't shatter.
“Do you feel… A little off? Like an unsettling feeling or such?” Jungkook asked and held onto a bar to stay in place while he watched Taehyung float away and eventually hit a wall. However, he wasn't very bothered by it. He still attempted to remove the bag himself. “You can take your suit off and wander around in your jumpsuit.”
“Thank goodness! I can't open anything with these gloves.” Bickered the older and within seconds, he slid his hands out of the suit and pulled it open with his hands alone. “To answer your question, I don't really feel off. I feel safe in the hands of our team back on earth. That's the only few we can trust.” Taehyung sounded very calm about everything and he was the last one Jungkook expected to be taking this professionally. “Finally got it open! Here, let's share this.”
“Fine, only because I'd hate to waste good resources. I can't help but to have this annoying tick on the nape of my neck… It makes me feel like something is wrong.” Jungkook replied and with that, Taehyung did a front flip and pushed himself to Jungkook so suddenly. “Careful! You might hit your head.”
“I am careful, my Kookie Crunch! Hey, do you want to know why I like having you as my partner on this mission?” Inquired the older astronaut as Jungkook tilted his head and pulled Taehyung closer so he wouldn't float away once again, placing the older's hand over the bar against the wall. “Because, we get to spend so much time together in space! I even get to sleep strapped up next to you!” Taehyung teased as Jungkook then let go of the older and allowed him to float away. “Jungkook! I'm kidding!”
“You seem to play around like that a lot! I-” Before Jungkook could even finish his own sentence, he heard such a familiar sound call out to him through his own helmet. Almost as if Jimin was calling him. Jungkook desperately kicked the wall and gathered enough momentum to push himself forward. Within seconds, Jungkook grabbed his own helmet and detached it from the wire. “H-Hello?” Sputtered Jungkook desperately as he carried the helmet over to his seat and strapped himself in before switching off the oxygen tank in his suit. “Jimin… Is that you?”
“Yes… Yes it's me.” Jimin replied. Back on earth, Jimin held his own face up and smiled while wearing the headset happily. “Oh Jungkook… I miss you so much!”
“I miss you too. What are you doing at the facility? Shouldn't it be late over there?”
“I couldn't sleep… Planet JM-95 and the B248 fell off a thread. I just couldn't hide my own tears back at that moment and I had to talk to you. So I ran down here and I was lucky the astronomers were still here. These felt like the longest hours I've felt so lonely…”
“Be strong for me, my love. I'll be back before you know it.” Jungkook added and began to smile to himself. “Mochi, I feel a little off. Doesn't something seem off to you? I've been here for a few minutes but the odds of something bad happening just scares me…”
“It's natural. I've felt like that for a while when I was in space. It's your first time up there, just remain calm… You haven't cried for me, right?”
“No. If I cry, the tears will stick to my face and it will sting! I can't cry up here…” Jungkook assured and heard Jimin's giggles. “Oh Mochi… I can't wait to come back. But we have to be strong and patient. Is Namjoon taking care of you?”
“Yes he is. I thought you didn't like him at all… Suddenly, you two are close? When did this happen? You know what? I don't want to know. I'm just happy you both are getting along. It's been a while, Honey.” Jimin mentioned with a giggle and sat back on the chair he sat in and smile to himself. “How's the stars? Are you going to stargaze without me?”
“The stars are beautiful up here… But I'm a little upset I can't see the star back on earth… That was my favorite one. The rare; ‘Jimin’ star. The perfect one I've ever laid my eyes on.” Jungkook laughed as Jimin smiled to himself. “I can't believe I'm up here. Taehyung is holding up very well and we are using our resources wisely. We can expect a smooth mission, but until then, we aren't taking any chances.” Jungkook assured as Taehyung passed by the young man to give him his half of the stake still in the bag, his half of the juice, his half of the nuts and only three dried oranges and berries within the plastic bag as Taehyung consumed his own half already. “Got my half now.”
“Seems like you have everything under control. I feel like I can sleep better with the thought of how safe you are. Honestly, I thought something bad happened as soon as Planet JM-95 fell and the B248 sculpture. I was in your room when it happened.”
“It can't mean anything can it? Ah, I sound so stupid… Forgive me Newton for my stupidity. Anyway, Jimin, now that I talked to you, I want you to go home and sleep… But please call Namjoon to take you home or someone there. Don't walk home, I want you safe.” Jungkook advised the older. Jimin took one glance around himself and sighed before tilting his head aside.
“I'll find a way, Jungkook.” Jimin answered. Just then, Jungkook heard a kiss through the hearing chip and that alone made him blush. “Jungkook… about earlier, did you hear me?”
“Every part of it. Are you okay? My heart broke once I heard you cry like that. I told you not to stay home, Mochi. I told your the second goodbye would be even worse than the first. You didn't even get a chance to hear my second goodbye too…” Jungkook brought up how he heard Jimin through his own helmet during take off and that alone killed him deep down. “Hearing you made me wish I can jump out of this rocket and hug you close. I never heard you cry like that. Did it feel like you lost me?”
“It felt like a piece of me was ripped off as soon as you left. I knew you told me to stay away but I just couldn't.” Jimin then adjusted the headset and smiled to himself. “You can't expect me to listen to you when it comes to something like that. Oh Jungkook, I missed you the second you told me you had to go. We had one night full of love after our date and then… You were gone then next day. It was so scary for me. I was so used to counting the stars, I eventually lost track of the moon…” Jimin then took a moment to himself and pouted. “I need to learn to be lonely…”
“It's not so easy, but don't you forget about me. I'll be there before you know it.” Jungkook kept assuring this to Jimin and it made the older look down in worry; slightly letting doubt in too. Jungkook couldn't see Jimin but, Jimin could see Jungkook. He could see everything that happened within the B400 but the young man could never look up and smile at visual recording of Jimin. Only the pictures he pasted against the wall to remind him who loved him to the moon and back. “It must be getting late now, Mochi….”
“Alright...Goodnight, Honey. I'll give you a kiss every night.” Jimin assured and gave another kiss through the microphone. Instantly watching the young man smile happily and hold his own tears back before kissing back to Jimin.
“I'll look forward to it. Take care, okay? Be strong for me… Eat everyday and have Namjoon by your side too.” The younger instructed. Following up, Jimin said his goodbye on their short time spent together. However, that little time was worthwhile. As Jimin set the headset down, he debated on calling Namjoon when it came to taking him home at this hour. Even if Namjoon would do anything for the young man, Jimin felt bad about it. “I'll just stay here… Watching Jungkook and making sure he'll be alright.” Jimin assured and kept watching over Jungkook begin to eat his own half of the bag Taehyung left him. Within seconds, the head Chief poked his head in and locked his gaze over at Jimin; sitting right in front of the monitors in silence.
“What are you doing here, Dr. Park?” Called out the Chief as Jimin flinched and quickly looked back.
“I-I was talking to Jungkook and watching over him.” Jimin told the elder and quickly stood up to bow to him. “Shouldn't you be at home, Chief Wu?”
“I had some…. business to attend to. I'm going home right now, aren't you turning in for the night, Dr. Park?” Questioned the elder. For starters, he sounded very calm and that alone made Jimin grow a little suspicious about the older man. Chief Wu was never this calm and nice before, what made things so different now?
“I don't have a ride home… I can't drive.” Jimin answered and with that, he watched the corners Chief Wu's lips smile right at that moment. “Chief-”
“I'll take you home, Dr. Park.” The elder suggested and with that, Jimin finally rose his eyes up to meet with the elder. There Jimin found the shady parts of the moon right before him. They were scattered along every moon crater within the dark side of the moon; with every puzzle piece, it was easy to put back together. But, not this one. Chief Wu was a different type of puzzle to solve. In fact, Jimin never knew much about the Chief before and many things seemed so off with him even to this day. There was always a cluster of things Dr. Park Jimin seemed to question about the elder; and all of it remained silent at that very moment once the man spoke again with his cold and brittle voice. “Come with me…”