Body And Soul

12. Not A Regular

They walked in utter silence as Laylin led him through the parking garage and to her car. She unlocked it when she got there, quickly leaning across the driver's seat to brush salt fragments onto the ground where a balled up take-out bag lay.

"I'm sorry for the mess. Normally I'm just driving myself around. That or Jungkook too, and he doesn't mind. We're used to eating take-out in my vehicle..."

"Laylin, it's fine," said Jungkook as he tried to keep her from fretting too much.

He opened the passenger side door to move a hand inside to start helping Laylin. Their fingertips brushed against each other as they both swept the seat clean; both immediately retracting their fingers as if they had been electrocuted. Jungkook moved to slip into the passenger seat while Laylin still seemed to be registering the fact that their fingertips had touched.

It was nice for Jungkook to be sitting back down somewhere so familiar. Eventually Laylin moved to join him, putting her keys in the ignition to turn the car on.

"Slouch down low," she said as she backed up; Jungkook immediately listening as she thrusted a pizza menu at him. "Hide behind that too. The paparazzi are probably gonna want a picture if they know it's you."

"I feel like you have a secret life shuttling celebrities out of places," remarked Jungkook.

"Yeah right," she said with a soft chuckle.

As she drove out of the parking garage, Jungkook watched as the paparazzi swung around to face Laylin's vehicle. He kept the pizza menu up over his face as he stayed slouched low. His eyes were focused on the pizza toppings list with laser focus as he watched Laylin navigate their way through the paparazzi; laying on her horn once to send them scattering away like seagulls. Jungkook couldn't help the chuckle that left his lips as he caught sight of a few members of the paparazzi shooting glares at Laylin.

"They are lucky this isn't an actual emergency. Clustering in a mass like that should be illegal..." muttered Laylin. "They seem to be everywhere..."

"They'd be out of a job if that were the case," said Jungkook. "I can stay like this until we reach your place if you want?"

"That can't be comfortable though. I'm sure they are gone..."

"Well, just in case they aren't, I don't mind. Really. Besides, I'm finding it fascinating how one pizza restaurant can have so many toppings..."

"Would you like some?"

"Pizza?" Jungkook asked lamely as Laylin nodded her head. "Um...sure. Sounds good."

"What toppings do you want?"

"I don't care," said Jungkook. "I'll eat anything. What do you like?"

Of course Jungkook knew already, but he had to play as if he didn't. He looked over at her as she appeared to be deep in thought for a moment; the palms of her hands massaging the steering wheel again and again as a nervous sort of tick.

"I'm basic when it comes to pizza. I like pepperoni and cheese. That's it."

"That's fine with me," said Jungkook. "Though can we maybe add bacon?"

"Bacon! Ah yes. My secret weakness. How did you know?"

"Bacon is everyone's secret weakness," said Jungkook. "Well, mostly everyone."

He watched the smile come across her lips and then disappear as she parked outside the apartment building. He moved to get out, following after her once she locked up the vehicle. It was only a short walk up the concrete steps outside until they were in a cramped aqua rugged hallway, climbing the filthiest carpeted steps known to man. Once they reached the landing, a few white doors greeted them; some crooked apartment numbers glistening in tarnished gold. There was another staircase that led up higher into the apartment building, but Laylin stopped in front of a door all the way to the left end of the hallway. As she pushed the door open and turned the light on, Jungkook couldn't help but to release a sigh at the sight.