The next day brought on another wave of frenzy; PR now having a truly nightmarish time trying to balance out homophobic complaints and the general media madness caused by the overnight trailer drop.
Jungkook spent the day running around, trying desperately to put the previous evening out of his mind; knew that if he stopped for even a second, he'd end up daydreaming and blushing, and his work would quite literally fall apart. So he threw his all into the two new storyboards they needed, adrenaline coursing through him.
When V showed up, Jungkook was stood in the empty offices, packing his computer onto his bag. It was well past end of working hours, everyone else in the department having left already. He'd had things to finish up, and he'd been unwilling to leave until Namjoon did. The silver-haired man had gone home only five minutes earlier, after wrangling a promise from him that he'd be doing the same. But here he was still packing up, exhausted from staying up late the day before, his mind caught in a loop of thoughts relating to one person: the only one who could pull him out of those thoughts with just two words.
"Hey you."
Jungkook spun with a beaming grin and ran his eyes over the vision before him. He was still surreal and mysterious, outlines clearly placing him in the room but not defining him, like he was uncontainable. He was a star lost on Earth, his very own DreamSoul.
Jungkook dropped his bag there and then; strode over and gathered the man in his embrace, arms wrapping securely around the thin waist.
"Hey you," Jungkook answered back, before he captured the other's lips with his own.
Straight away it was shameless; warm and fierce. Taehyung's hands came up to frame his face, keeping him as close as possible as his tongue darted out, left a strip of saliva on his bottom lip. It made Jungkook growl, and he chased it as Taehyung pulled back. Didn't let it get far before he caught it with his lips, was sucking on it, letting their tongues lap together, tasting every inch he could reach. Their noses knocked as they pulled away for air and dove right back in, insatiable. Hands gripping onto each other and mouths greedy.
"I have..."
Lips crashed against his again, his words swallowed by the addictive open-mouthed heat. Somehow, the kiss turned to something achingly slow and rich, interrupted by playful pecks and languorous licks. Breaths mingling, teeth clinking through the smiles and lips wrapping around each others over and over.
"V..."
He tried, really tried to speak, but Tae was having none of it, his hands threading through his hair the way he'd already figured out drove him crazy, teeth nibbling at his bottom lip every time he tried to lean back and speak.
A chuckle rumbled in the back of Jungkook's throat as he pulled back more forcefully this time, earning himself a whine that very nearly caused him to lean in for more.
"I have somewhere I want to take you," he muttered, highly amused as he ran soothing hands up and down the other's sides.
"Just say you don't want to kiss me and go," the ghost mumbled, but Jungkook couldn't take him seriously when his kiss-swollen lips were pouting and he was trying to catch his breath.
"Hey," he murmured, putting a finger under the starlight man's chin and bringing it up.
He left a single peck on that pout, dispelling it quickly.
"I'd love to stay here and kiss you all night, trust me it's all I've thought of since yesterday..."
He took a deep breath, forcing himself away from the addictive man by stepping back, but as he did he linked their hands, so that there was not a second during which they weren't connected.
"...But I've got somewhere I want to take you, and this building has cameras, so if I haven't already been caught snogging thin air, I definitely will be if we stay here all night."
Taehyung didn't even look remorseful, just grinned playfully at him.
"All night, huh? You really think you could last that long?"
"Please," Jungkook scoffed. "It's just kissing."
He grabbed his bag and made his way to the entrance, their hands still linked together. Next to him, Taehyung slapped his arm.
"That's not what I meant! Are you saying kissing me for an entire night wouldn't lead to anything... more?!"
Jungkook snickered, locking the doors behind them and dragging the ghost towards the elevator for the second night in a row.
"Are you telling me you're needy, hyung?"
"Wha- Give me my cute and flustered Kookie back, what did you do to him?! Who even are you?!"
They bickered back and forth all the way out, grins unstoppable even as they made their way to the closest bus stop, hands linked together. Once the right bus came along, Jungkook stepped onto it, ringing his card against the pay machine.
"Hey, this invisibility thing is pretty handy," Taehyung remarked behind him, hopping on just before the doors closed.
Now that they were in a small space with other humans, Jungkook couldn't answer, so he just sat down on a window seat half-way down the bus, chose one where he would be able to stretch his tired legs. Moving his bag to the floor between his feet was awkward, but he was done before they set off. As the vehicle drove off, he looked up, only to tilt his head curiously at V who was still stood in the aisle.
Then Taehyung grinned, his see-through features expressing pure mischief. He walked over and plopped himself right into Jungkook's lap, facing him, legs pressing down against the side of his thighs. The ghost wriggled as close as possible, unable to be flush against the other man due to the seats, but getting the desired response.
Jungkook froze entirely, face suddenly burning red as he choked on his own saliva. He tried to play it off by staring out the window when the few other passengers looked his way, but Taehyung was having none of it. He leaned in and started peppering Jungkook's face with butterfly kisses, down his nose, purposefully missing his lips, then following his jawline. He could tell the man underneath him was gritting his teeth, desperately clinging to control. Up he went, lips trailing against skin, all the way to Jungkook's earlobe where he nibbled gently, pulling carefully on the earrings with his teeth.
This was the Bad Place, had to be. Jungkook fought with every ounce of restraint within him. Fought the blush on his face, fought the thoughts which ran through his mind, fought the indecent images which were pouring in, of this man sat in his lap in another setting, in the flesh and utterly naked.
"Stop," he whispered, swearing inwardly at how breathless he sounded.
"But it's so much funnn~" Tae whined back, voice dripping with tease.
Jungkook sighed, but it was accompanied with a small smile which gave him away.
"Please?"
Finally, V grinned and obliged, climbed off his lap and sat down next to him, so close he was half onto his seat. They spent the rest of the short ride with the ghost's head snuggling into the crook of his neck, Jungkook trying desperately to act normal.
He felt like he had whiplash; months of laughing and sharing and bonding all accumulating into this sudden desperate need to be close to one another. Burning need like he'd never felt before kept nibbling at his resolve, filling him with want. But at the same time, he was immensely happy just sitting there, a confusing ghost curled up against him, like the biggest secret in the world. And it felt like he was all his. A man with so many different facets to him that it was dizzying: all his.
Really, Jungkook suddenly felt immensely content, except for that tiny voice in the back of his head which kept asking when they would meet; what it would be like to rest his fingers against actual skin.
They got off the bus a short while later, Tae curtsying to the driver loudly on his way out, causing Jungkook to chuckle under his breath.
"So, where are we going?"
"There," Jungkook said, childlike eyes sparkling as he pointed to a building on the other side of the road.
Large, brightly lit despite the late hour, it was entirely blue.
"The aquarium is open at midnight?!" Taehyung laughed.
"Yeah, one day a week they stay open extra late for uh... well for couple's night."
Taehyung turned to look at Jungkook, was met with a view of the blushing man rubbing an awkward hand across the back of his neck.
"Jungkookie... is this a date?" he whispered, in awe.
"If you'd like it to be... then yes. This could be a date... Our first date?"
He was struggling to look at him, but still forced himself, shy eyes meeting Taehyung's, nervous but still holding firm. Like everything Jungkook seemed to do in life, he did it with passion and resolve, pushing through his fears steadily. And Tae thought he was just perfect for it.
"Then it's a date," he grinned back, before linking their hands together again. "Our first date."
Neither mentioned how that implied there would be more in the future, they just crossed the road together. They went in, Jungkook having to hide his hand behind his back again, struggling to remember that no one else could see the ghost who was currently all he could see. His eyes constantly strayed to the cerulean beaming silhouette who was messing around, enjoying his invisibility.
They went through into he near-empty aquarium, a limited few couples sighing at the tanks with their hands intertwined.
"How did you even get a ticket, isn't it supposed to be a couple's event?"
"I told them I had my first date with the love of my life here."
He glanced at Tae when he heard a breath get stuck in his throat.
"I told them I'd lost that love; that I wanted to relive it."
The ghost didn't say anything, some sort of feeling shared between them, though they didn't know what it was. They simply revelled in each other's presence.
Inside, it was magical: dark building with water illuminated turquoise. Jungkook's heart filled to the brim at the sound of his DreamSoul whispering:
"Watch this."
Then Tae let go of his hand and ran forwards, leaping through the air, gravity not applying to him, he fazed through the glass. Water closed in around him, the light of his soul shined brighter, his silhouette growing stronger. He floated inside the fish tank, turning to look back at Jungkook, who stared back, mesmerised. From inside the aquatic world, Taehyung looked like an absolute vision. He swam around happily, laughter bubbling from his lips and reaching Jungkook easily. Even with reinforced glass separating them, it was like nothing could truly come between them.
He spent the hour watching as Taehyung danced with fish and cuddled up to sharks and sea creatures. The animals seemed to register a presence, but instead of feeling fear, they came closer, gathered in groups which played happily with the ghost. That hour was everything. They could have been talking, or walking together, but Jungkook felt the cells in his body sing at the sight of the DreamSoul flying trough the water, so when Taehyung asked if he should come back, Jungkook shook his head with a knowing smile.
He knew his soul; could feel his fears in his bones, and he knew the loneliness which had plagued the singer. Knew there were many things he was unable to do in his human body. So he simply watched as the ghost's inner child took over, recording every second as precious memories.
Eventually, it was time for them to go. Jungkook walked out, bowing his thanks to the staff on his way out. They'd been aware of his story, had seen him gazing endlessly into the water, and they bowed back with some form of bittersweet happiness in their eyes.
Once outside, Taehyung swooped back to his side, their hands finally connecting in a shower of tingles. They didn't go far before Jungkook ducked out of sight of the streetlights and pulled the other to him. Lips met lips, soft and slightly wet. They sighed into each others mouths, felt like they were taking a breath of air after deep sea diving.
"Next time, there's somewhere I want to bring you," the silver-blue silhouette muttered to him.
Jungkook smiled bright, whispered in return.
"Okay, next time."
When they parted unwillingly a short time later, the DreamScape lifting V away from him, Jungkook gazed up into the godless sky. And he thought about the emotions swimming inside of him; thought about how three little words danced in his mind. Told himself he would tell V he loved him, 'next time'.