Work Text:
The editing room was dark and warm, shades pulled down over the bright sun outside the windows. Staring at the bright screens was beginning to make Jungkook’s eyes water.
Actually, wait, no- that was a yawn.
He didn’t snap his mouth quickly enough, because Hoseok’s eyes had already slid over to him. He smiled wryly in that way that made two neat dimples appear on either side of his mouth. “Is our film boring you, Jungkook-ah?”
He said it with a light, teasing lilt to his voice, not any bite, but Jungkook still felt his face go hot.
“No,” he said, sitting up straight in his chair, blinking back his sleepy tears. “No, it’s not.”
Hoseok laughed and patted him on the shoulder. Namjoon sat on his other side, studying the frame on the screen. The three of them sat crowded around giant dual monitors, slowly progressing through shot after shot after shot of video.
“Be honest, Jungkook-ah, it’s important to express your opinions during the technical process,” said Namjoon.
“It’s probably because you refuse to use the explosion effect,” said Hoseok before Jungkook could interject. “The new kids always love that.”
“There’s never any need for the explosion effect,” Namjoon said, eyes darting around the screen. “If they wanted explosions, they’d do it while filming. Fake explosions look clichéd. And our films don’t have explosions, anyway, because we’re not an action studio.”
“Okay, did I ask?”
“Kind of, yes.”
Hoseok took the liberty of making an explosion sound effect with his mouth instead, using his hands to shake Namjoon, who effectively ignored him.
Hoseok looked back at Jungkook, his grin softening. “But really, let us know your input, Kook-ah. You’ve got an eye for this. You know this. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t.”
“I know, hyung,” Jungkook said, not without a small amount of shame. He didn’t want them to think he needed explosions to keep his attention, just because he was the “new kid.”
His position here had been no easy thing to get. After getting his degree in film from university and doing a number of internships and temporary jobs in between, it had still taken months of applications just to get a few interviews. He’d been advised to try something else in the meantime, maybe an office job, but he’d just- wanted this, so badly.
And he loved film. He loved the storytelling, he loved the technical and artistic aspects of it, he loved the music and he loved using a camera and he loved editing. He’d loved it since he was a child and spent every school vacation staying up late watching movies with his brother. He’d loved it since he was a teenager and made silly short films starring his silly best friends (“When will you pay me for all this acting, Jungkook-ah?” “When you can actually act, Jiminie-hyung.”). He even loved it in university even when it was scary showing his work to an audience, when it was competitive and difficult and full of sleepless nights. He loved it now, even when it could be a little tedious and, if he was being honest, he’d like an afternoon at home.
“I think you like this film more than you like me,” Taehyung used to whisper on movie dates when they first started dating. He would pout in the darkness of the theater, eyes gleaming in the light, and Jungkook would open his mouth to either explain or tell him off, but then Taehyung would do something like stuff a handful of popcorn in his mouth with a laugh that usually earned them a few annoyed shushes. Or, one time, some squid so completely doused in butter that Jungkook’s entire shirt had been ruined.
Jungkook scooted his chair closer to the monitors, nearly bumping his knees with Hoseok’s.
Hoseok and Namjoon were only a few years older than him, but they felt light years ahead. They were cool and funny and easy going but critical, and they were professional, and Jungkook wanted to be like them. But he didn’t think they got here by yawning on the job.
And yeah, maybe Jungkook's dance practice ran overtime last night, and maybe he’d gotten home so late he’d found Taehyung curled up, fast asleep in their bed with the lights still on, wrapped around Jungkook's pillow. Maybe he’d had to get up at six in the morning to get to work on time, and had left the apartment half-asleep, hair barely combed, with Taehyung still in bed, curled in the sheets.
“Which one do you guys think works better?” Namjoon asked, switching between two different takes of the same scene.
Jungkook had been so tired this morning, so bleary-eyed, that he hadn’t realized until later, in the editing room with his styrofoam cup of coffee between his hands, that he’d forgotten to kiss Taehyung goodbye. Not that it mattered much, since Taehyung was still asleep, but. It kind of did.
“Play that one more time?” Hoseok said, and he and Jungkook leaned in closer to watch the takes again. And again, more closely. Again, narrowing down what they felt worked best about each.
Something as simple as a kiss goodbye shouldn’t be so hard to achieve. But Jungkook’s time with Taehyung had been cut dramatically since he’d started this job a few weeks ago. His nights had grown shorter and his days busier, and Taehyung had his own life teaching elementary art. He didn’t like to think anything could hurt their relationship, but that was life.
Jungkook didn’t normally subscribe to such bleak outlooks, but something mucky, something sticky and bad-tasting, had been swirling around inside of him lately, and it was directly connected to such thoughts.
He watched the takes again with Namjoon and Hoseok, inserting one into the final cut and then taking it out and inserting the other for comparison. The screens began to blur in front of Jungkook’s eyes, but he refused to yawn again.
He wasn’t quite sure when the last time was that he’d seen Taehyung in daylight, but he had nothing else scheduled after work, so at least he’d see him awake tonight.
But Taehyung never complained. Not outright. Maybe the little, half- asleep, kitten-like whines he let out when he clung to Jungkook in bed before letting him get ready for work constituted as complaining. Jungkook wasn’t sure. Jimin was always the one blowing up his phone with messages of hardworking Jungkookie when will you ever be free again ???
Jungkook wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Was that good or bad? He needed to focus.
“The second one,” Hoseok said, leaning back in his chair again. “Yup, definitely the second one. Jungkook?”
“Yeah,” Jungkook agreed.
Namjoon looked at him. “You’re not just saying that because Hoseok said that, are you?”
“No,” Jungkook said, a little shamed again. But he agreed, the second one was better. He’d have to make sure to speak up first more often. He needed to show more initiative, he needed to prove that he was worth it-
Taehyung always said he was worth it, that it was worth it, had always supported Jungkook’s dream of making it in the film industry. Back when they were only just friends. Back before they were friends. Back when they’d known each other for only five minutes, on Jungkook’s second day at university, after Jungkook had randomly taken the chair beside Taehyung’s on the first day of their required mathematics course (which Jungkook hated and was terrible at, and which Taehyung hated and passed with flying colors).
“Film?” Taehyung had said, after he’d taken one glance at Jungkook and immediately introduced himself. Jungkook, a bit taken aback by this new boy’s wide, pretty eyes so abruptly and entirely focused on him, had to find his voice somewhere in his throat before offering his own name and field of study. Taehyung leaned slightly into Jungkook’s space. “Am I talking to a future famous director right now?”
“Um,” Jungkook had said. He wasn’t sure he even wanted to direct. It was only his second day of school. “I don’t know. I’m not studying to be a psychic.”
Taehyung had smiled, in a cute, upside down sort of way, the first of many Jungkook would find himself on the receiving end of. “Wouldn’t that be cool? Looking into crystal balls and never having to worry about anything.”
“I don’t think that’s how it works,” said Jungkook, but he could feel himself smiling, too.
“Sure it is. But I probably don’t need that to know I’m sitting next to a future famous director,” said Taehyung, and he sounded so completely confident that Jungkook felt the back of his neck prickle with warmth.
Finally, they moved on to the next scene. Jungkook watched as Namjoon clicked the next take and Kim Seokjin’s face filled both screens. He had a reputation for being the most handsome of their up and coming actors, and Jungkook could see why.
There was a light tap on the door, and light spilled into the room.
An older colleague, Jaegyu, poked his head through the doorway. “Hey, don’t forget to take a break, it’s lunchtime. Jungkook, there’s someone at the reception downstairs for you.”
Jungkook blinked, eyes adjusting to the natural light leaking in through the doorway. “Me?”
“Jungkookie has friends?” said Hoseok.
Jaegyu shrugged, smirking slightly. “I didn’t say it was a friend.”
“So a stranger went out their way to come find him?” said Namjoon.
“Was it an attractive stranger?” Hoseok asked.
“I’m leaving,” said Jaegyu, and dipped back out the door.
“Me too,” Jungkook said, leaping up from his chair.
Namjoon leaned back in his chair and stretched. “Yeah, let’s break for lunch.”
Jungkook stepped into the hallway. The sunlight streaming through the windows made his eyes ache, and it was a relief to step into the dark elevator. He wasn’t sure if he was dumb or not for hoping, but who else- ?
He stopped into the bright lobby.
Immediately, Jungkook saw the figure standing by the entrance - trenchcoat to his knees, a thick, loose scarf hanging around his neck, fluffy hair sticking up over the back of his collar -
“Taehyung?”
Taehyung looked up from the fake plant he had been inspecting. His lips immediately curved into his a smile, the kind that stretched to his eyes. Sunlight framed his face, filtering through wind-swept wisps of his dark hair, and Jungkook felt so caught off guard that all words flew from his brain.
“Hey, Jungkook-ah,” Taehyung said, like he’d just randomly wandered in and decided to say hi. Perhaps he had.
Jungkook noticed that the receptionist’s desk was empty, probably also on lunch break, as he walked over to Taehyung, the glossy tiles squeaking beneath his shoes. Taehyung immediately reached out and pat down the front of Jungkook’s hair, which must have been sticking up, or maybe not, because Taehyung never really did need a reason to reach out and touch.
Taehyung’s fingers were warm, and it was like magic, the way it made Jungkook feel sleepy again, even though they were standing in the middle of the bright, glassy reception.
“Why are you here?” Jungkook asked, half humming.
Taehyung shrugged, smiled again, and pulled his hand back. “Just wanted to kiss you.”
Jungkook blinked. “What?”
Taehyung reached for his hand and pulled Jungkook out through the revolving doors and into the cool autumn air, where the leaves on the trees lining the street were finally beginning to turn. Jungkook didn’t have a coat on, but it felt good, and the sun was nice and wasn’t even burning his eyes anymore.
People walked around them on the street, in a hurry to grab lunch or go to work or get to class, and Taehyung only walked a short distance before he pulled Jungkook into a small sidestreet, and then an alleyway shadowed by trees.
It wasn’t particularly dark, but suddenly all Jungkook could see was the insides of his eyelids as Taehyung crowded him against a wall and presses their lips together, warm, warm, warm.
Oh.
It was so incredibly nice that Jungkook felt like he could melt right into the sidewalk.
Jungkook could feel the warmth of Taehyung’s hands through his work shirt. He let Taehyung kiss him for a few moments before he lifted his hands up to the back of Taehyung’s neck. He tangled his fingers into the hair Taehyung has let grow long there, and kissed him back.
Something taut and coiled in him unraveled.
When Taehyung pulled back, he smiled with reddened lips. Jungkook let out a deep breath.
Taehyung leaned in and pressed another, smaller kiss to Jungkook’s mouth before pulling away again. “Yup. That’s what I came for.” Then he’s reached for Jungkook’s hand again to pull him back out into the street.
“What’re you- wait,” Jungkook said. He tightened his hand around Taehyung’s and pulled him back in. Jungkook’s back hit the wall again. “Wait. That’s all you came for?”
Taehyung smirked. “Didn’t want to get you in trouble by keeping you for too long.”
Jungkook stared at him. Taehyung worked in an entirely different part of the city, it would have taken him at least thirty minutes to get here.
“But what about you?” Jungkook asked. “What about your classes?”
Taehyung shrugged, pushing some hair out of his eyes. “Kids went on a field trip today. I have two classes this afternoon for the older kids, but I finished all my prepping this morning so I had some time.”
“So you came all the way here?”
“Yeah,” Taehyung said. Jungkook must have had a strange look on his face, because he laughed and gave Jungkook’s cheek a pat. “Is that really so unbelievable?”
“Taehyung,” Jungkook said, because he he didn’t know what else to say. He wanted to laugh too, because what he was feeling was overwhelming and silly and embarrassing . Taehyung had come all the way here just to give him one kiss when Jungkook couldn't even remember to say goodbye to him that morning.
Taehyung’s face changed, mouth morphing into a tiny frown. The hand on Jungkook’s cheek grew softer, cupping his jaw. “Jungkook-ah?”
Jungkook shook his head and moved to pull away, but Taehyung brought his other hand up to Jungkook’s opposite cheek to make Jungkook look at him again, gentle.
“What’s wrong?” Taehyung asked, voice low and familiar in a way that Jungkook felt in his bones. “Are you having a bad day?”
Jungkook shook his head again, because he wasn’t, not really.
“Hey,” Taehyung said, crowding up to him again. He kisses the side of his mouth, slowly, his lips so soft. “Kook-ah.”
Taehyung was easing the words right out of him. His scarf tickled Jungkook’s chin, downy and sweet-smelling, like Taehyung, like their apartment. He murmured into it, “I missed you.”
Jungkook half expected Taehyung to laugh, to ask him what he was talking about, missing him , because he was right here.
Between Jungkook’s first and second year of university, he and Jimin had taken a trip to Japan together, a vacation they’d always wanted to go on. Jungkook had taken his camera, and when he’d gotten home he’d spent hours editing the footage he’d taken of their trip. Jimin had loved it.
When they’d gone back to school a few weeks later, Jimin had shoved his phone into Taehyung’s face and made him watch it.
Jungkook had expected Taehyung to like it, sure. He’d expected him to laugh at Jimin, to perhaps compliment his music choice. He hadn’t expected Taehyung to look at him, mouth slightly agape, eyes so big and wide and full of something .
“Jungkook-ah,” he’d said, “you’re so good at this.”
Heat prickled up the back of Jungkook’s neck.
He reached up to scratch the side of his nose, chest tightening in the good way it did when someone complimented his work. Except this was more than just a compliment. This was Taehyung.
“Thank you” he’d finally said.
“No, really,” Taehyung had said, voice serious, eyes wider than ever. “You’re so good at this. Keep going with it.”
“Okay,” Jungkook said, because he really didn’t have any other option.
Jimin had told Taehyung not inflate Jungkook’s head just because of one video (as if Jimin wasn’t his biggest enabler of them all), but Taehyung hadn’t, he never did, really. He always encouraged Jungkook, always supported him, and he was always honest. He’d watched everything Jungkook ever made, he told him what he liked and what he didn’t. He was there. From the moment Jungkook had sat down beside him in that math class, he was always there.
“Hey,” Taehyung said, hands still on Jungkook’s cheeks. “Let’s make more time for each other, okay?”
Jungkook nodded, and he kind of wanted to do something stupid, like cry, but he leaned forward and kissed Taehyung instead.
Because Jungkook had seen enough movies about characters who put their careers over their relationships to know how lucky he is to have someone like Taehyung. Patient, understanding Taehyung, who always knew how passionate was about his work but did, in fact, love Taehyung the most. It was probably how he’s able to work with kids for a living.
“Missed you,” Taehyung said. Jungkook kissed him again, harder.
Taehyung let Jungkook kiss him once more – twice more – before he pulled back again. “Wait- don’t you have to get back to work? I didn’t want to get you in trouble.”
“Lunch break,” Jungkook said, and kissed him again, sneaking his hands back into his hair.
“Okay,” Taehyung said, and let his eyes fall shut as Jungkook flipped them around and crowded him against the wall instead. Taehyung’s skin was hot beneath his scarf.
After a few moments, Taehyung made a sound in his throat. Then he said against Jungkook’s mouth, eyes still closed, voice muffled by his lips, “Doesn’t that mean you need to eat?”
“Can wait,” Jungkook mumbled, kissing him again.
“But…” Taehyung’s breath caught as Jungkook pressed harder against him. “But- you’ll be hungry.” He kissed Jungkook, and moved his hands from his shoulders to his waist.
“I’m fine,” Jungkook said, because his boyfriend couldn’t just pull him into an alleyway, initiate a makeout, and then cancel it on him once he was really getting into it.
“But we can eat together,” said Taehyung, his voice taking on something more playful. “I saw a place with jjajangmyeon place when I was scouting out this corner. Have you been there? Is it good?”
“It’s good,” Jungkook said, a little breathless as Taehyung pressed kisses into his neck, smiling. “But we don’t have to do something so cheap, hyung.”
“You’re right, let’s get steak,” Taehyung said, looking up at him again. “Or seafood. And seafood. You’re paying because I took the train all the way here, and you offered.”
“I didn’t offer. ”
“You’re a big famous movie director, of course you’re paying.”
“I’m not-”
Taehyung pressed silencing kiss to his mouth.
Jungkook sighed, and pouted, but Taehyung merely unraveled his scarf from around his neck and wrapped it around Jungkook’s instead.
“Fine,” Jungkook muttered in to the fabric, and Taehyung beamed and kissed him on what was left exposed of his cheek.
“Come on, then,” Taehyung said brightly, not even bothering to smooth over his hair. He slipped his hand into Jungkook’s and pulled him back along the street, to a restaurant that smelled so very heavenly that Jungkook decided that yes, fine, sure, this was worth his lunch break and his money.
Later, when he quickly slipped back into the lobby of his building and into the elevator, he was waiting for the doors to close when a hand caught them, and Hoseok slid inside.
He took one look at Jungkook’s flushed cheeks, and the hair he’d tried to pat down, and his lips that were swollen from the spices in the seafood stew, really-
Hoseok smirked. “So it was an attractive stranger.”
“ No ,” Jungkook scowled, and patted his hair over his forehead.
“Aww,” said Hoseok. The doors opened for their floor, and they were quiet all the way down the hallway until Hoseok opened the door to the editing room immediately started declaring, loudly, “Namjoon-ah, it was an attrac-”
“Okay!” Jungkook said, sitting down right beside a confused Namjoon and taking hold of the mouse he wasn’t using. He felt flustered, but well fed, and well kissed, and good. He felt good. He felt like he could handle the rest of the day. He felt ready. “Let’s get back to work.”