SOPE | Touch

18 ❆ Kisses and Mysterious

24 hours.

24 hours of not hearing Yoongi's voice, seeing his face, or listening to his snarky comments about whatever annoyed him that particular day.

24 hours of Hoseok not leaving his room because he can't bare the pain of another step, the guilt can't wrap it's filthy fingers around Hoseok if the fire elemental was neck deep in his blankets. SeokJin had tried to get him out of bed, but Hoseok wouldn't budge.

He was scared, afraid, worried, any other synonym you can think of, Hoseok felt that emotion. Because he's scared Yoongi's going to die and he knows if the frost elemental does he will forever blame himself for it.

Though, Hoseok isn't the only one taking Yoongi's absence hard.

Jungkook may just be even worse than Hoseok.

Yoongi is Jungkook's roommate, has been since Jungkook moved into the academy when he was 18; Yoongi was his favorite Hyung and someone he's always relied on. So having Yoongi not be in their room and maybe on the verge of death, was taking a heavy toll on him.

He couldn't eat, he had no appetite, he couldn't sleep, his worry always shaking him awake when he managed to drift into sleep land.

Jungkook needed Yoongi and if he were to lose him, he doesn't know what the hell he'd do.

Which is why Taehyung finds himself sitting beside Jungkook, rubbing the younger male's back as he allowed Jungkook to verbalize his worry for his Hyung.

"What if he dies, Tae?" Jungkook questioned, looking at Tae with his tear filled doe eyes.

Taehyung's heart cracked at the sight, "He's not going to die, Jungkook, you don't know-"

"You don't know if he's going to live, either." Jungkook interrupted, wiping his eyes.

Taehyung sighed, "Yoongi's strong, he wouldn't let this kill him. He's going to live, because he must want to live for you, for all of us. Plus, Cashel hasn't called us to his office to warn us that Yoongi might die like he's done with others, which is already a good sign in its self."

Jungkook stared at his hands, "I guess."

"See!" Taehyung smiled, lifting Jungkook's face so the younger could look at him, "Stop being so pessimistic, it isn't going to help you or Yoongi."

Jungkook smiled softly, staring into Taehyung's warm brown eyes.

No wonder Taehyung was an earth elemental, he's the most beautiful thing Jungkook has ever seen walk the planet.

With his long-ish brown hair, strong features, soft cheeks, kind aura, and overall stellar personality; there was no one like him.

Jungkook didn't notice he was leaning in until he felt Taehyung's lips pressed against his own.

Taehyung was the one who closed the gap between them.

Jungkook let his eyes flutter shut, his hand moving to the base of Taehyung's neck as he pulled him closer. Taehyung's arms wrapping around Jungkook's neck as he tilted his head to deepen their kiss, Tae's heart pounding so hard in his chest he could hear the rhythm in his ears.

His hands found their way into Jungkook's blue hair, his body leaning back as Jungkook's leaned over him slightly, it was only when they were out of breath that they pulled away and even then Jungkook kept pecking Tae's lips.

"Tae..." Jungkook looked at the earth elemental, quickly catching the scared look in Taehyung's eyes as he stared towards the school.

With a hint of, what Jungkook was hoping wasn't, regret.

The two were in the gardens, it was a quiet day and Jungkook found the area of the academy peaceful, which is something he had needed.

They completely forgot about the balcony that over-looked the gardens, where Kim SeokJin stormed off making sure to leave a burnt peace of the balcony in his wake.

<><><>

"It was odd, that's for sure," NamJoon commented as he and the group sat in the library on the top floor, which had a gorgeous sky light that allowed the evening sun to glow on top of the gang.

NamJoon was sitting at the head of the table they were at, Jimin deciding to sit on his lap because he felt like it.

He and Namjoon haven't had sex.

Doesn't mean they haven't done other stuff though.

SeokJin was next to NamJoon, with Hoseok right beside him, Jungkook was two seats away from the fire elementals, on the other side of the table, with Taehyung next to him.

Jin made sure to completely ignore Taehyung when the male was trying to apologize for him having to see Tae and Jungkook like that, while Jungkook didn't care.

Frankly, he was glad Seokjin saw them.

Remember that empathy he had for Jin before? Yeah, never heard of her.

"I don't get it," Hoseok began, finally looking up, "those things moved like literal shadows, you couldn't even catch them before they disappeared from your vision."

"Not only that," Taehyung added, "they combined too, there were a bunch of earth and wind ones, I didn't see fire and frost ones though."

"Thank god," Jungkook mumbled, SeokJin's jaw clenching at the mere sound of his voice.

NamJoon sighed, rubbing his temples, "What if-" he began, only to cut himself off and stay silent.

"Just spit it out, Joon, what were you going to say?" Seokjin urged, the rest agreeing with the older male.

NamJoon took a deep breath before saying, "What if whatever is controlling those things is in the academy, or has someone in the academy."

"Babe, are you trying to give me anxiety?" Jimin asked from NamJoon's lap, his eyes wide.

"He's right," Jungkook agreed, "how did they know to combine abilities just like what we were trying to do. The shadow part is the mystery part, a brand new obstacle for us."

They all agreed with NamJoon, it was the only explanation for how those things knew to do the same thing they were doing.

Though, with this new finding, it also set off a new apprehension in all the boys sitting at the table.

Who ever that spy was, if there was one, could potentially be right under their noses.

And they don't even know it.

a/n
*plays spoopy music*