Work Text:
You may forget but
Let me tell you
this: someone in
some future time
will think of us
-Sappho, The Art of Loving Women.
Then (2019)
The first time Jeon Jungkook meets Kim Seokjin, he’s in the cooking utensil aisle of his local grocery store.
There’s a weird popping sound to his right, some kind of pale yellow glow that has Jungkook rubbing his eyes and contemplating if he’s dehydrated and then a confident voice calling to the one other person in the same aisle looking at cooking pots a few steps down.
“Hey! What’s the date today?”
Jungkook doesn’t look at the man, figures it’s a prank. Better to get his shopping done quickly and get out of here.
“Uhhh, it's the second of February?” The other customer says, kind enough to go along with the antics, bless his heart.
“And the year?” the same boisterous voice asks. Jungkook almost wants to turn around to see what kind of person has such pompousness in the way they talk. Right now, he’s weighing two options: a teenager or a politician.
The customer looks confused. “... 2019?”
“Yes!” The man shouts. “We did it!”
The customer pastes a terrified smile and starts to slowly back away. He crosses to another aisle and is gone from sight. Smart move.
Jungkook turns around to glance at this weird, strange man because the curiosity is eating him up alive and he has to know what kind of person it is, but before he can even look properly (only notices the long coat, the styled black hair, the handsome face), he’s being engulfed in a tight hug. The scent of fresh laundry and apples engulfs him.
“We did it JK! Oh my God, I can’t believe it actually worked!” The man squeezes his middle, head buried in Jungkook’s shoulder. “Take that non-believers, we showed them! Haha!”
Usually Jungkook likes hugs, welcomes them even, but only from family and trusted friends. And right now, with this stranger holding him way too comfortably and hands reaching further down his waist, Jungkook, like any other sane and sensible person, picks up the nearest object— a metal spatula— and wacks the man upside his head.
“Ow motherfu–” The man cries out, instantly dropping his hands and backing away, cradling the back of his head. “What was that for Jungkook, you ass, I’ll–”
The man stops just as suddenly and straightens. Blinks away the unbidden moisture in his eyes. Studies Jungkook, who is holding out the spatula like a sword in front of him and is slowly backing away.
“Pervert,” Jungkook says, voice surprisingly calm. “I’ll report you to the authorities.”
The man tilts his head. “You’re not my Jungkook.”
Jungkook snorts. “No shit. I’ve never seen you before in my life.” Jungkook tilts his head to mimic the guy. “How did you know my name?”
The man hums, still studying Jungkook carefully. “You’re younger than I remember. Still got those cheeks, I see. Cute.” The man grins then. “Oh well. Guess this is our first time meeting. Introductions are in order.” He holds out a hand. “I’m Kim Seokjin. I’m from the future.”
Jungkook stares. He stares at the man with his stupid long coat and styled hair, at the outstretched hand, at the self-assured grin. He blinks. “This is it,” Jungkook says. “I’ve officially lost it.”
The man’s grin, impossibly, widens. He’s got such full lips. Jungkook stares at that too.
“No wait.” Jungkook shakes his head, another thought coming to him. “Why should I have lost it? You’re the crazy person here, you have lost it.” Jungkook frowns, suddenly worried. “Are you okay Seokjin-sshi? Did you take any drugs in the past few hours? Do you know where you are?”
Seokjin laughs. It’s a weird laugh. “No drugs don’t worry. And you’re not going crazy just yet.” He waves a hand. “You’re fine.”
Jungkook laughs uncomfortably. He needs to get out of here. “Yeah. Haha, weird. Oh, would you look at the time? I have to get home, dust some… plants, haha yeah. Bye.”
Jungkook spins in place and starts walking briskly for the counter, grocery basket thumping rhythmically against his thigh. He’s only taken a few steps when the strange man starts walking beside him. “Your palate is as disgusting as always,” Seokjin sniffs, eyeing the meager supply of frozen vegetables and oyster sauce in Jungkook’s basket.
Jungkook halts. “As always?” he questions, narrowing his eyes.
Seokjin halts with him. “Told you I’m from the future. I know you from the future. And I’ll let you know that you still eat that frozen shit in the future despite not being poster boy for broke college kids anymore.”
Jungkook nods slowly. “From the future, got it.” Jungkook decides he'll have to make a run for it. He readies himself to drop the grocery basket right there, positions his feet and—
“Nuh-uh,” Seokjin says, loops his arm through Jungkook’s like some Victorian gentleman and moves him along to another aisle. “No running away sweetheart, I know that face.”
“Yes, of course,” Jungkook says, immediately giving up and letting Seokjin do as he wills. He read somewhere that he shouldn’t aggravate the delusional or things could get seriously out of hand. He should go along with whatever Seokjin wants and as soon as he can, he’ll make a break for it, call the police, do something. “Because you know me from the future. Right. Got it.”
Seokjin smiles, somehow fond and pitying at the same time. “You don’t believe me. It’s alright, a perfectly apt and natural response.” He picks up a carton of guava juice and puts it into Jungkook’s basket. “I mean, I would be the same if you came from the future and told me you knew me.”
Jungkook nods because Seokjin is making sense right now, in some weird confusing way. He watches as Seokjin picks up a bottle of banana milk and drops it in the basket too.
“Okay,” Jungkook says. “Let’s say I believe you for a second.” He holds out his basket on instinct as Seokjin drops octopus flavoured snacks in it. His favourite. “Should you really be telling me all this? Doesn’t it cause some kind of ripple that affects the future? Butterfly effect or something like that?”
Seokjin hums. “That’s true, smart boy. That would be the case usually but not so much in our scenario. Do you want to know why?” Seokjin’s expression goes mischievous, as he steps forward, pulls Jungkook closer, sets a hand on his waist as if he’s done it a million times before. Maybe he has, if what he’s saying is true. From the future.
“Because,” Seokjin says, voice dropping. “I’m going to go back in time again right to ten minutes ago and make sure I don’t do all that I did in this timeline just now. Basically I’m going to correct my mistakes. You won’t even remember all this happened because it wouldn’t have happened! Neat, huh?”
Seokjin steps back and starts perusing the shelves again, dragging Jungkook along by the arm. Jungkook frowns. Even with this whole otherworldly experience, he doesn’t like the idea of forgetting. Strangely, he doesn’t want to forget this weird, handsome, smartly dressed man in his local grocery store.
“Oh, stop pouting,” Seokjin huffs. “You know I’m weak to those.” He pulls back the sleeve of his coat and looks down at his watch, a sleek silver thing that’s got a soft yellow glow around it, getting stronger by the second. “Would you look at that? It’s charged, finally. Ten minutes is too long.” Seokjin turns to Jungkook, slips his arm out of his and faces him. They’re the same height.
“Well young Jungkook. It was nice to meet you. You have no idea of the amount of teasing material I’ve gained for my Jungkook so I’m very thankful. See you in the future! Bye!”
Jungkook’s eyes widen. “Wait—”
Seokjin blows him a kiss and clicks some mechanism in his watch. The same yellow glow surrounds him and he blinks out of existence.
Jungkook’s left staring at an empty spot, with a remarkably fuller grocery basket of food he loves (come on, how did Seokjin know to pick them out unless he really was from the future?) and a headache blooming behind his eyes.
“What the fuck,” he whispers.
Still Then (2019)
The second time Jeon Jungkook meets Kim Seokjin, he’s at his campus library and trying not to break down into tears.
Coincidently, it is also 2 am.
He’s got his kinematics notes open and he’s trying to solve sixty mcq’s in preparation for the midterm next week. He still has five more topics to go through and three other physics courses to revise. If someone even says the word projectile motion, he will scream.
“Hey, excuse me,” someone says a few tables down. Jungkook’s head shoots up at the familiar voice. “What year is it?”
Kim Seokjin stands there, in that same long coat and styled hair, wearing the same confident expression even as the person he asked groans out a tired, “Fuck off.”
Jungkook is grinning even as he calls out, “It’s still 2019, weird time-travel man.”
Seokjin whips around to look at him, eyes wide. “JK?” He strides towards Jungkook’s empty table and settles into a chair beside him, muttering to himself. Jungkook makes out a “botched it”, “try again” and “still cute”.
“Thank you,” Jungkook says, still grinning. This is a distraction from his studying but a very, very welcome one. He doesn’t even feel close to tears anymore so there’s that too.
“Still a little shit, I see,” Seokjin says. He pats Jungkook’s head, runs his fingers through his hair. Jungkook closes his eyes at the feeling. “When was the last time we met?”
“Grocery store, about two weeks ago,” Jungkook says, dutifully. “You appeared suddenly, told me you knew me from the future and said I’d forget everything.” Jungkook makes an unimpressed face. “Well I didn’t.”
Seokjin makes a face back. “Yeah well. I messed up a bit on the calculations. I was supposed to be there right now but I went further into the future instead.” He rubs tiredly at his stupid/handsome face. “Gonna have to fix this too.”
“You mean you came straight here from the grocery store?” Jungkook bites his lip, trying to control his laughter. “Sucks.”
Seokjin pushes at his shoulder, failing to control his own grin. “ Yah, stop being annoying.”
There’s a lull in their talk when Jungkook turns back to his spread out books and Seokjin studies him for a moment. “You believe me about the time travel now, huh?” Seokjin asks, expression contemplative.
Jungkook shrugs. “Dunno to be honest. I think I would believe it more if I wasn’t currently studying physics and could go into it blind. Without the skepticism that was drilled into me through the years. But yeah.” Jungkook meets Seokjin’s smile with his own. “I kind of believe you.”
“Good.” Seokjin nods, self-assured. “We never achieve anything without faith.”
There’s another lull where Jungkook reads his notes silently. Seokjin studies their surroundings, taking in the almost empty library, the black sky outside the large floor-to-ceiling windows.
“Hey Jungkook.” Seokjin says, head tilted in that way of his. “What time is it?”
“Hmm? A little after two am?”
“A little after–” Seokjin screeches before he’s hushed rather ferociously by the one other student in the library. Jungkook giggles as Seokjin visibly calms himself. “A little after two am?” he hisses. “What about your beauty sleep? How many times have I told you about having a proper sleeping schedule–”
“Never actually,” Jungkook says, teasing. “You’ve never told me that.”
Seokjin goes almost red in the face as he works himself up. Jungkook snorts out a rather ugly giggle that has Seokjin deflating almost immediately.
“Fine,” he sighs. “When we meet in the future, I’ll be knocking some sense into you. I mean your Seokjin will.” Seokjin nods like he’s reassuring himself. “I did it to my Jungkook afterall.”
And there it is again. My Jungkook. The way Seokjin seems so assured about a future Jungkook that is there, somewhere, something permanent, something… his. It has Jungkook feeling weird. This weird man who makes him feel weird things.
“Hey listen,” Jungkook says. “Seokjin-sshi–”
“Hyung.”
Jungkook pauses. “What?”
“Call me hyung,” Seokjin says “Feels weird to hear you say it, no matter how young you are currently, when you’ve never called me that before.”
“Not even when we first met? In your timeline, I mean.”
Seokjin frowns, contemplating. “Yeah. Huh, I never realised it but you started calling me hyung from our very first meeting even though I hadn’t even given you permission yet. I just thought you were a brat with no respect for elders.”
Jungkook hums. There is something weird about that. Jungkook is usually reserved with strangers, doesn’t let himself be free or open with anyone unless he’s known them for a month at least. It’s also weird how comfortable he feels with Seokjin right now, teasing and laughing, despite this being their second meeting.
Huh. Must be a Kim Seokjin thing.
“Alright, it’s charged,” Seokjin says suddenly, all brisk. “Time for me to be on my way and to fix my mistakes.”
Jungkook tries hard not to pout. He’d been so wonderfully distracted from the oncoming hell week and intense studying. And he hadn’t even gotten to ask his question before Seokjin rudely interrupted him.
“It was nice meeting you again young Jungkook-ah, even if we shouldn’t have.” Seokjin shakes his head. “Oh well, I’ve got even more fodder for teasing my Jungkookie now. Also, you wrote the wrong answer for question 42, it’s C not B. Correct it. See you in the future! Bye!”
And just like before, Seokjin blows him a kiss and clicks on something in his watch and disappears in a pale glow. Jungkook’s left smiling goofily at an empty seat with a wrong answer in his notes.
Still... Then (2019)
The third time Jeon Jungkook meets Kim Seokjin, said person is tripping over a trash can.
“Fucking–” Seokjin swears, as he vaults over and onto the sidewalk in a loud crash. Jungkook watches from a few steps away, eating his popsicle and enjoying the show.
Seokjin is still swearing as he picks himself off from the floor and dusts his stupid long coat. He’s still dressed the same as he was in their past two encounters. His hair looks more harried though, like he’s run his fingers through it.
Seokjin looks around and when his eyes fall on Jungkook a few feet away, he sighs in exasperation. Jungkook gives him a small wave.
“Hey hyung. Long time no see.”
“What year–” Seokjin starts but Jungkook beats him to it.
“It’s been a month since I last saw you. We met in the library.” Jungkook lowers his voice like he’s about to divulge a secret. “At 2 am. The horror.”
Seokjin rolls his eyes. “You little shit.”
Jungkook grins. “Want a popsicle hyung? I have an extra.”
“Please,” Seokjin groans and eagerly takes it in his hand, peeling away the wrapper and sucking. The image is… something. Jungkook quickly looks away and starts walking. Seokjin walks beside him.
It’s a simple stroll but Jungkook loves it, likes how comfortable it is with Seokjin. Likes how it’s weird and not at the same time. Likes how he doesn’t have to worry about saying anything stupid because Seokjin is stupidder somehow and also, he knows Jungkook from the future and seems to like future him, so it should make sense that he also likes present him.
Jungkook shakes his head. Two months ago, Jungkook wouldn’t even have thought time travel was possible. Now he’s here, talking to someone from the future and believing him. Well, believing him to some degree.
“So,” Seokjin says. “How’s it going JK? Powering through the third year of your physics degree like a good boy?”
“How–” Jungkook starts before Seokjin gives him a look and oh. Right. Seokjin knows basically everything about him already. “Yeah,” he grumbles instead. “Midterms were fine. I’m worried about the projects due by the end of the semester but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
Seokjin hums. “Positive as always. How’s maths treating us?”
Jungkook groans out loud. “It’s a cursed subject hyung, we don’t speak of it.” Seokjin laughs his weird laugh and pushes against his shoulder with his own, like it’s a gesture he’s done a million times before. Jungkook has to remind himself again and again that he really might have.
Jungkook shakes his head to dispel the thought. “How about you hyung?” Jungkook asks. “Where– no wait– when are you coming from?”
“When I last saw you in the library. Time travelled straight from there.”
“Another mistake then?” Jungkook asks, wanting to tease but also noticing Seokjin’s face, the weak pallor. Now that he’s studying him, Seokjin looks tired, sleepy.
“Yeah,” Seokjin nods. He licks at his popsicle, hums. “It’s been a whirlwind of activity for me for the past hour or so but it’s been what? Two months for you?”
Jungkook nods, finishes his popsicle. “You want a place to crash hyung? You look tired.”
Seokjin stares at him in surprise, mouth moving off his popsicle with a pop. “You brat, you shouldn’t just invite strangers into your home like that!” Seokjin’s voice is loud as he points in Jungkook’s direction threateningly. “What if I was a murderer, a serial killer, the pervert you labelled me in our first meeting?! You idiot!”
Jungkook is trying very hard not to look too fond. He suspects he fails when Seokjin’s eyes narrow. “You’re not a stranger hyung. Not anymore.” Jungkook slips his arms through Seokjin’s like he did to him two months ago, all easy confidence as he steers him towards his dorm. “And I’m not a stranger to you either, hyung. Come on.”
Seokjin huffs but lets himself be steered. They reach the dorms in record time, considering they’d been walking towards it anyways through Jungkook’s subconscious meanderings of a stroll. Jungkook enters it with Seokjin right behind him, and thanks his mother silently for the cleanliness she drilled into him from a young age.
Jungkook knows what a typical boy’s college dorm room looks like. His is nothing like that. It’s clean and organised with a potted plant at the one small window and his bed made. His roommate’s bed is not made, however, but that’s as far as the disrupt goes. Jungkook was lucky enough to get a good roommate when the rooms were allotted all those years ago.
“You don’t have a couch,” Seokjin observes, eyes wandering. When Jungkook shakes his head, Seokjin shrugs. “Guess it’ll be your bed then.” Seokjin deposits himself on Jungkook’s bed with no hesitation, like he knew the cleaner one would be Jungkook’s.
It’s still startling, being reminded of how much Seokjin knows him already. But Jungkook’s slowly getting used to it so he only blinks twice and moves to his closet. “Do you want to change into something more comfortable? I might have a spare shirt.”
“Oooh JK, sharing beds and clothes already?” Seokjin teases. “What’s next? Breakfast in bed? Scandalous.”
Jungkook wills the blush down by sheer determination. “Shut up. Do you want it or not?”
Seokjin shakes his head. “Nah, it’s okay. I’ll sleep for an hour at the most, no need to change.”
“Oh. Alright.” Jungkook closes the curtains on his window. The sun is starting to set. “Do you want me to wake you up?”
Again Seokjin shakes his head. He lays himself comfortably across the mattress, rubs his nose into the pillow as he settles himself. “Thank you sweetheart but I’ll wake up by myself. Good night.”
“Good night hyung.”
Jungkook lets him be, walks to the tiny kitchenette instead. He settles at the coffee table he’s got propped up in front of it and boots up his laptop, starts on an assignment due in three days. He tries to ignore the sleeping individual on his bed a few feet away with extreme laser focus on his task.
True to his word, Seokjin wakes up an exact hour later. Jungkook watches him in amazement. “Do you have an alarm or something?” he asks, watching the way Seokjin blinks slowly at him even as he sits up with difficulty. His hair is sticking up straight on one side. Jungkook is so, so endeared.
“Yeah,” Seokjin croaks, voice rough from sleep. “An alarm you could say. ‘Cept it’s in my head.”
“In your head?” Jungkook’s grossly fascinated. “Like some machine in your brain?”
Seokjin nods. “It’s a future thing, don’t worry about it. You’ll have one too.”
“Woah. Future sounds cool.”
“Where’s the bathroom?” Seokjin asks, rubbing his eyes. Jungkook points to his left and Seokjin stumbles towards it. Five minutes later, he’s stepping out looking as clean and well put together as that first meeting.
“Well, young Jungkook,” Seokjin starts and Jungkook rolls his eyes. “Let me guess,” he says. “You’re leaving.”
Seokjin knocks his knuckles against Jungkook’s forehead. Hard. “Don’t be smart with me. As I was saying, I’m leaving now, my device is charged, I’ll be on my way.” He soothes his fingers on Jungkook’s forehead the same place he knocked as if in apology. “Thank you for letting me sleep in your bed even though we really went about this all wrong. I didn’t even take you on a date yet!”
Jungkook ducks his head to hide his blush. “It’s fine hyung.”
“Please don’t let just anyone in like that,” Seokjin gently scolds. “I mean, I’m alright because there’s no one as magnanimous and gracious as me and I would never take advantage of a sweet damsel boy.”
“I could back flip you to next Tuesday,” Jungkook scowls.
Seokjin winks. “This is why I like you.”
Before Jungkook can get another word out, Seokjin is straightening and pulling back the sleeve of his long coat.
Jungkook waits and sure enough, Seokjin blows him a kiss and clicks a mechanism on his watch.
“Don’t get lost again!” Jungkook calls. Seokjin sticks out his tongue childishly and vanishes in a soft yellow glow.
Jungkook turns back to his assignment, shaking his head fondly.
Really. It's still Then (2019)
The fourth time Jeon Jungkook meets Kim Seokjin, he’s sitting in a cafe solving mechanics questions and doing more wrong than right.
Seokjin appears suddenly, as he is wont to do, in the chair next to him.
Jungkook drops his pen and crosses his arms. “You got lost again, didn’t you.”
“Oh shut up,” Seokjin says glumly and eats the chocolate muffin Jungkook had been saving in one bite.
Jungkook smiles and continues doing his work. Seokjin chimes in at times, correcting his mistakes. Seokjin, as it turns out, has done a PhD in physics.
Jungkook tries not to grimace. He can’t imagine all that studying when he can hardly get through his undergrad smoothly. He kind of wants to be done already but he still has one more year to go.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Seokjin says imperiously, drinking Jungkook’s hot chocolate without holding back, no consideration for Jungkook’s emotional well being depending on that one cup of hot chocolate.
“You do not know what I’m thinking,” Jungkook mutters. He hates maths and all physics seems to be made up of is maths. This is the 4726836th time he has had the same thought.
“Yes I do. You’re thinking you can’t do this. Get your degree in this subject and make a name for yourself in the fields and be anything worthwhile.” Seokjin gestures to his face. “This is an expression of hopelessness. Get it off.”
“Easy for you to say,” Jungkook says, frustrated and almost angry. “You’ve gotten somewhere. You’re out there, back in time, somewhere. You made a time machine or whatever with your degree. I’m still here, still me. Please don’t lecture me right now hyung.”
Seokjin is silent. He finishes the hot chocolate. Jungkook doesn’t have it in him to whine at the unfairness of it all. A lot of things feel unfair nowadays; the job market, for one, now that Jungkook is at that stage where he has to start internships in a few months and he’s been applying to one after another but not one of them have followed back. He’s got above average grades. He thinks he does well in his labs, that he’s got most concepts understood, that he’s a hard worker, that he can do something, be something.
But right now, Jungkook feels like he’s stuck in a cycle. Study, exams, worry about his grades, worry about his future, study, exams, worry, worry, worry.
He hates fearing the future. The great expanse of the unknown.
“You do get somewhere you know,” Seokjin says quietly. Jungkook raises his head to look at him. Seokjin’s face is gentle and open in a way it’s never been before. “You think I did all of this by myself? Constructed the time machine on my own? Reached here to this point without any help? Jungkook-ah,” Seokjin says. “You were there with me for almost every second of it.”
Jungkook’s eyes are wide. “You mean… I help you make the time machine? That’s how– how you know me from the future?”
“Yes Jungkook. You’re my colleague, you could say. We’re partners.” Seokjin's smile turns teasing. “In more ways than one.”
Jungkook blinks once, twice, before his entire face blooms red. “Oh my God,” he says, burying his face in his hands as Seokjin lets out peals of laughter above him. “Of course we are. It all makes so much more sense now.”
“Doesn’t it?” Seokjin nudges an elbow into his side. “I wasn’t going to say anything but you looked too sad just now. Maybe some hopes of thrilling romance will make your future seem brighter.” Seokjin considers. “Oh and also the prospect of making a time machine, there’s that too.”
Jungkook peeks at him through his fingers. “You’re terrible at comforting people hyung.”
Seokjin sniffs. “Or maybe you just suck at being comforted.”
Seokjin picks up Jungkook’s pen and twirls it. “You know you were supposed to come with me? To the past I mean. It’s why I hugged you that time we met in the grocery store. I thought you were my Jungkook.” Seokjin pouts. “Turns out it was the younger version.”
Oh. It makes so much more sense now. The easy familiarity in that first hug, the way Seokjin called him by name, the way he looked confused when Jungkook hit him with that spatula until he saw Jungkook clearly, head on.
Jungkook sighs and puts his hands down in his lap. He studies his fingers. “Yeah all that’s said and true or whatever but I just– sometimes I don't know if I’ll make it you know? If this path is right for me.”
“Yeah well,” Seokjin says, eyes snagging on the glass case of pastries at the cafe counter. “You did choose this field of study because you, and I quote, ‘love Tony Stark and wanted to understand the science-y bits of the movies’ end quote, and I don’t wanna say anything to that.”
“Oh my God,” Jungkook says, horrified. “I told you that? Future me told you that? Oh my God, future me is so dumb.”
Seokjin nods emphatically. “Completely true, without a doubt, you are the dumbest person I know. But it’s alright. Coincidently, I am morosexual so I will love you with no problems.”
“That’s not what I was worried about!” Jungkook says, voice strained and cheeks heated.
“No?” Seokjin hums. “That’s good. We’ll never face any worries as long as we communicate, Jungkook-ah. No room for misunderstandings in this relationship.”
“Oh my God,” Jungkook groans and buries his face in his hands again. He stays like that for a few minutes, contemplating what his life had come to until a thought comes unbidden to him. “Why tell me all this?” He murmurs from behind his fingers. “I’m going to forget it all anyways. You said so yourself.”
Seokjin tugs his hands down from his face and tuts. “It’s exactly because you’ll forget that I’m telling you. This is momentary satisfaction for the both of us.”
Jungkook rolls his eyes then because of course. He drawls, “Thank you hyung, for your immense generosity, your humble kindness that practically oozes from your pores, oh how–”
“Okay zip it, enough with the sarcasm.”
“As you wish, O Benevolent One.”
Seokjin simply shakes his head tiredly and glances down at his watch. Jungkook tracks the movement.
“Time to go?” he asks, tries not to let the disappointment show.
“Yup.” Seokjin fiddles with the contraption on his wrist for a moment before grinning up at Jungkook. “See ya JK. Hopefully not like this. Maybe in your future and my past.” He leans forward, peers closely at Jungkook’s face, taps underneath Jungkook’s chin with his weird crooked fingers. “Feeling better?”
Jungkook nods. Says, “Where’s my kiss hyung?”
Seokjin blinks, confused, before a wide grin overtakes it. With an exaggerated flourish, he blows Jungkook a kiss and watches fondly as Jungkook tries to control his giggles. “Bye sweetheart.”
“Bye hyung.”
Now (2019)
The fifth and first time Jeon Jungkook meets Kim Seokjin, he’s running late for his internship.
“Shit, shit, shit,” Jungkook pants as he rounds the block and sprints straight for the glass doors of the glass building. He doesn’t have much time to admire the architecture, though he’s seen it before and immediately dubbed it Stark Tower in his head, if only because of all the glass.
He runs straight to the reception, skidding as he stops in front of it.
“Hi,” Jungkook says breathlessly. “I’m here for my internship under Dr Choi, thermonuclear physicist?”
The receptionist (Kim Aera) is calm as she takes his name, university affiliation and bio data to have his entrance card made, as though she’s subjected to running interns everyday. She looks him up on the database and gives him the green light. Jungkook is thrumming with energy because this is it. This is it. He’s venturing out into the real world now. Finally.
“Hi, yes Aera-sshi,” a familiar voice says. “Could you ring up the doctor and let him know that Professor Baek is asking for me and that I’ll be up in a few? Thank you so much.”
Jungkook stares at the man next to him. Gone is the long coat and artfully swept hair. In its place is a practical button up and slacks with a lab coat settling wonderfully on wide shoulders.
“Hyung?” Jungkook asks, surprised. Seokjin turns to him, smiling politely and gazing unfamiliarly at him as he says,“I’m sorry, do I know you?”
And that’s when it hits Jungkook. This Seokjin looks younger, hair shorter, looks at him like he doesn’t know him, is keeping that normal stranger distance that strangers are supposed to keep but Seokjin never actually did before. Because this isn’t that Seokjin.
This is his Seokjin. This is Present Jungkook’s Seokjin.
Present Kim Seokjin. Not past or future; present.
“Uhhh,” Jungkook starts but Kim Aera comes to his rescue. “Oh, this is the new intern, Jeon Jungkook, for Doctor Choi. You’ll have more help with the studies now, won’t you Seokjin-sshi?”
Seokjin nods his head in Jungkook’s direction, all grace. “Nice to meet you, Jungkook-sshi.”
Jungkook’s grin could split his mouth wide. “Nice to meet you too hyung.”
Seokjin’s eyebrows rise at the familiarity but he lets it go, talks to the receptionist for a few seconds more.
“Come on,” Seokjin says, gesturing towards the elevator to the side. “I’ll take you to Doctor Choi before I go on my way.”
“Oh, it’s alright,” Jungkook hurries to say even as he follows. “I could find the lab myself.”
Seokjin shakes his head, all kindness. “It’s no problem.”
The distinct lack of teasing has Jungkook feeling strange, mostly because Seokjin never gives up an opportunity to tease, to whine, to assert authority. Jungkook has never been faced with this kind of Seokjin, the one who’s a proper gentleman and not the cackling monster that he’d met.
Oh well, Jungkook thinks as he watches the floors rise through the transparent walls of the elevator. All the more to learn about him.
“Thank you hyung,” Jungkook says out loud, tries to sound gracious. Seokjin shrugs, nonchalant. They’re standing close, shoulders only a hand’s breadth apart.
This time more slowly. Thoroughly.
The Future in some indeterminate time (???)
Jungkook watches as Seokjin appears in a pale glow of light a few feet away. He grins.
“Took you long enough,” he calls out.
“Jungkook-ah,” Seokjin whines, walking towards him. “Past you is a menace.”
Jungkook laughs, folds Seokjin into a warm familiar hug. He feels Seokjin squeezing his middle, head buried into his neck, shoulders tucked in to make himself smaller. Through the years, Jungkook has learnt all the ways Seokjin likes to be hugged. This is his most favourite type.
“Yeah?” Jungkook murmurs. “Did past me make you divulge all your secrets even though you tried to hold them back just by being cute?”
“Ye– wait.” Seokjin pulls back, eyebrows furrowing. “How do you know? Shit, don’t tell me.” Seokjin lets out a tired groan. “I never fix the past, do I?”
Jungkook rubs his back consolingly. “Nope.”
“You never forget, do you?”
“Never.”
“My first time meeting you wasn’t your first time meeting me, was it?”
“Uh huh.”
“Oh my God,” Seokjin tilts his head back and closes his eyes. “That’s why you were so familiar with me the first time we met. And how you knew to sneak in chocolate muffins in our late night lab sessions slash dates. And shit–” Seokjin’s eyes fly open. “That’s why you agreed to help me build the time machine in the first place! You knew it would happen eventually! Oh God, you knew it would happen today didn’t you, when you said ‘oh hyung, I think today’s the day’. You’ve never said that before! You never planned to come with either!”
Jungkook smiles, fond. He reaches forward and kisses Seokjin’s forehead. “Yes, yes and no. I agreed to help you build the time machine because I was in love with you and would’ve gone along with whatever crazy idea you had.”
“Oh,” Seokjin considers, visibly calming down. “Oh, well, that’s comforting.”
Jungkook presses another kiss, this time to his cheek. “I mean, the future part did help indefinitely. I only knew it was going to work today because you wore this stupid long coat. It’s all I saw you in.”
Seokjin rolls his eyes. “Excuse me, my fashion taste is impeccable. I will not tolerate any kind of slander against it.”
“Yes hyung,” Jungkook drones dutifully. “Whatever you say, hyung.”
“You’re so annoying,” Seokjin huffs and wraps his arms tighter. “I missed you, you know. Out there in the past. No matter how cute Young Jungkook was, I couldn’t exactly kiss him whenever I wanted to.”
Jungkook levels him an unimpressed look, wills himself not to break. “Yes of course hyung because all you can think of when you see young me is to jump me.”
“No!” Seokjin squawks. “You buffoon–”
Jungkook cackles. “I know, I know hyung. I’m messing with you.”
“Fuck off,” Seokjin huffs, hugs him tighter.
Jungkook smiles into Seokjin’s hair, the artful style he’d lost in the few minutes he’d spent cruising time and kisses it. Seokjin sighs.
They hold each other with the realisation that their four year project has finally come to fruition. They hold each other with the comfort of knowing that this will go on, has been going on, is going on.
Future, past, present.
Fin.