Archive of Our Own

Kim Seokjin is not the kind of teacher who takes his responsibilities lightly. He's a serious man with serious goals and he cares about his students’ wellbeing an incredible amount.

He's serious in the ways that matter–for example–marking tests on time and providing support to students who are struggling. He's serious when it comes to discipline and he's serious when it comes to his dislike for one of the other faculty members, Jeon Jungkook.

Jeon Jungkook is a newer teacher at their private boarding school. His presence infuriates Seokjin beyond belief and if someone were to ask him why, he's sure he could give them at least two good reasons. 

The rest of the reasons, well, they're harder to explain.

Jungkook is a physical education teacher and that alone angers Seokjin to no end. Why do the students need to be taught how to exercise? And why do they need to wear those god awful bright red track suits whilst doing so?

Seokjin doesn't understand and he doesn't want to. Exercise is not a school subject, and Seokjin believes in that wholeheartedly. He also dislikes how smug the teacher is with his 6 pack and his tiny waist and his slightly too-big nose that scrunches up cutely when he laughs.

All of his other reasons, as mentioned previously, are much more difficult to argue. Jungkook is annoying because he's cute. He whines cutely when Seokjin scowls at him, he pouts cutely when Seokjin doesn't accept his peace offerings, and he even acts cute to the other teachers, vying for their attention and making Seokjin out to be the bad guy.

For all of the reasons he could find to like Jungkook, there are a dozen reasons for Seokjin to dislike him. He's kind, that's true, but he also never tucks his shirts in correctly. He's friendly and outgoing, that's obvious to most, but he's also incredibly lazy when it comes to paperwork. Seokjin believes that if you aren't ready to take on all responsibilities when becoming a teacher, then you shouldn't become a teacher at all.

And besides all of that, Jungkook teases him playfully. He yells Seokjin's name across the staff room every morning when he arrives, black coffee in hand and scowl waiting on his lips. Jungkook always grins, bunny teeth on show, and tells Seokjin he looks nice or threatens to kiss him if he doesn't stop looking so kissable.

It makes Seokjin blush and he resents Jungkook even more so because of that.

The school they work at is a boarding school for students who are wonderfully smart and incredibly polite. The school is set in grounds that boast beautiful plant life and manicured gardens, and they teach in buildings that are hundreds of years old with original features that have been perfectly maintained. When Seokjin was training to be a teacher it was a place like this that he'd dreamed of, with polite students and hard working co-workers and a library with multiple stories and cobwebs in each corner.

Truly he'd been enamoured by the library upon first sight and had so greatly wanted to be allowed to work at the school he'd stayed up each night after his interview searching for shooting stars to wish upon until his eyes drooped and he fell asleep. When Seokjin had gotten the call and been told they'd like to offer him a position as a literature teacher, he'd very nearly cried down the phone to the principal.

Of course, he's not one to pretend it's all perfect. There are bad students and frankly, despite being the one to give Seokjin the opportunity, he is not much of a fan of the headmaster. The man's stoicism and inability to smile creeps Seokjin out to no end, and, as well as that, he absolutely refuses to consider discipline in a case by case manner, instead choosing to expel any student who breaks a rule without second thought. Seokjin has seen wonderful students kicked out for the smallest mistakes and he spends so much of his time covering for the ones who he knows mean no harm that it's exhausting.

The headmaster is a man by the name of Choi Dong-Sun, at the age of 65, he's close to retirement but not the least bit tired looking. He's tall and thin with wispy grey hair combed across the top of his head in the shape of an M. He has the kind of face that looks like it had once been handsome but has withered so much with age that the constant frown had left deep set lines on the man's forehead and cheeks, leaving him looking gaunt and hollow. Seokjin tries to avoid him as much as possible.

So far, it's largely worked. He only has to see the principal during staff meetings and can avoid him a majority of the time. After working at the school for 4 years, Seokjin doesn't think he's had more than three one-to-one conversations with the man.

Seokjin's favourite term is autumn. He loves the way the brown leaves look beside the old building and how the storms that roll in make the school feel like some sort of halloween movie he'd rewatch every year for comfort. There are carved pumpkins dotted around the place and events set up by students for halloween. It is also the easier term where it comes to teaching and marking. Seokjin can set his own curriculum and he likes to choose books that fit the theme of the season. He truly believes that it inspires the students more when they can relate to the characters and where they are, and besides, it's more fun for Seokjin that way too.

He also has very little marking to do as the end of the year tests feel so far away he can almost forget about them in the hustle and bustle of autumn. He walks across campus each morning with his coffee and smiles, breathing in the fresh air and listening to the sounds of the birds in the trees and rustle of the leaves. His smile disappears as he enters the staff room and Jungkook calls his name.

He throws the man a look that could kill and then takes his regular seat by the window, where he reads in peace until the first bell rings.

By Lunchtime, Seokjin is ready to take a nap so he usually grabs a second coffee and then eats his sandwiches in the staff room. Jungkook is one of the only other teachers who also eats there and Seokjin is sure he does it just to piss him off.

'Hyung,' Jungkook calls as he enters. He stumbles across the room and drops onto the seat opposite Seokjin with a big grin on his face. 'You wanna swap a sandwich?'

Seokjin pushes his lunch box across the table without saying a word and lets Jungkook swap one of his sandwiches for Seokjin's. It's a thing they do almost daily but Seokjin likes to pretend it doesn't mean anything.

'It's Seokjin-ssi, remember?'

Jungkook rolls his eyes. 'Hyung, we should play tennis together this weekend.'

'Tennis?' Seokjin blinks.

'I think it would be fun! The students never wanna play against me because I'm too cool and good but I bet you could beat me.'

'And why do you think that?' Seokjin asks, feigning disinterest.

'Because you have wide shoulders and big hands, maybe you'll be good at it.'

'I'll think about it,' Seokjin says and that makes Jungkook smile even wider, his cheeks bunching up as big as apples.

Sometimes he's too cute to look at. Seokjin turns away, pretending to focus on something outside of the window.

After two weeks of classes, Seokjin's pile of homework to mark starts to seem like a lot. He curses himself for agreeing to attend after school tennis lessons with Jungkook. He had been so focused on them he'd been neglecting his duties as a teacher. He adds that to the list of reasons he dislikes Jungkook as he climbs the stairs to the library.

The school late at night is sort of an eerie place. The floors creak and the corridors seem to echo with footsteps as if ghosts are wandering down them, lost and searching for their next class.

The library is across two floors with books in every corner and big tables for students to work at in the centre. The windows are along one side and the light from the moon is bright enough that there's almost no need for lamps. Seokjin takes a seat at one of the empty tables and lays out his papers to begin working. The library at night is a peaceful place, he flicks on the lamp beside him and takes out his favourite marking pen.

In the corridor, Seokjin is sure he hears footsteps but in a school as big as this, he convinces himself it's just another teacher or a student sneaking around out of bed. Seokjin doesn't pay them any mind and starts to read through the first essay.

His students are smart, they get smarter each year and every time he reads an essay of theirs he's astounded by the quality and the deductions they make, some even beyond his own understanding of the texts. He corrects a few spelling errors, makes some final notes on the back and moves on to the next essay, ignoring the rustling between the shelves to his right.

Working in a place as old as this has made him immune to the little noises that might otherwise scare him. Nowadays he finds it easy to ignore them.

When he finishes marking the third essay and moves onto the fourth, Seokjin starts to feel sleepy. He muses on the idea of drinking one of the cheap coffees from the hot drinks vending machine in the reception but decides to leave it, knowing sleep will evade him if he does so.

He's so caught up in his own thoughts that Seokjin barely recognises the sound of paper being turned in the aisle beside him. Then he grows distracted by a particularly engaging argument about character flaws and doesn't hear the initial flicker of a flame.

By the time he smells the smoke, it's too late. The library is burning and Seokjin is caught in the middle.

Fire, much like many destructive things, is necessary for life. Its black smoke chokes and it's flames burn away history in seconds and yet, without it, the human race wouldn't exist. The crackle of the bookshelves and the crumbling of the ceiling make the sound of the shattering glass seem almost quiet. Seokjin's ears are filled with a dull roar and his lungs must be soot covered by now, only minutes after he'd seen the first flame.

He'd watched the orange light dance between the books, too caught up in the curiosity of it all to realise it could ultimately lead to his demise. Seokjin grabs his students papers in a fit of confusion and then he sees him, the fire starter, a ghostly man with pale blue skin and tired eyes, a glow about him different to the flames.

'I'm sorry,' he says, his voice crackly and deep, reminiscent of the sounds around Seokjin, almost as if the voice is nothing but an illusion. Everything goes dark before Seokjin can reply.

When Seokjin opens his eyes again he's in a dark room and can hear the sound of hospital machinery beeping beside him. He tries to cry but his eyes feel so dry it's as if all the moisture has left his body.

'Hyung,' comes a soft voice from the corner. Seokjin glances up and finds Jungkook standing, stepping closer until he's by Seokjin's side. 'Hey, don't cry, you're fine.'

'I'm fine?' Seokjin trembles.

'No burns, I got you out in time,' he says, voice soft and gentle. Jungkook's hands are wrapped in bandages and by his side, he also has a drip, much like the one connected to Seokjin's own hand. He tenses his fingers and sits up.

'What happened?'

'There was a fire,' Jungkook starts, taking a seat on Seokjin's bed and if Seokjin’s eyes weren’t dryer than the sahara, he might roll them at Jungkooks obvious statement. The metal creaks beneath their weight and Seokjin briefly wonders whether they'd get in trouble if Jungkook laid beside him. 'I heard yelling and I smelled smoke and one of the other teachers said you were in the library, so I ran in and pulled you out. You were clutching all of your kids' essays,' Jungkook giggles, still looking sad despite that. His words fall from his lips in a rush, as if he can’t quite catch his breath or speak fast enough to say what he has to say.

'Someone set it on fire,' Seokjin mumbles. 'I saw them.' He tries to recall the face but it's all blurred with the flames, most of his evening is gone actually, he only remembers the fire and the smoke and the all encompassing darkness that had held him in it’s grip for long enough to distort his memory.

Jungkook tenses. 'The fire fighters said someone set it too.'

‘It wasn’t–,’ Seokjin hesitates. ‘I don’t think it was a person, they were almost blue, glowing, like a cartoon ghost.’ 

'I’m not sure they’re gonna believe that Hyung,' Jungkook frowns, looking concerned. ‘Maybe you were just high off the smoke fumes?’

Seokjin shakes his head. ‘I know what I saw.’

‘I believe you,’ replies Jungkook. ‘I don’t think it was a ghost but I’m sure you saw something. We’ll figure it out.’

‘Yeah.’

‘I have a meeting with the headmaster tomorrow,’ Jungkook says quietly. ‘I have a feeling I’m in trouble.’

‘For what?’

‘Well, I think because I was close by and because there’s this rumour that we hate each other–’.

‘We do,’ Seokjin adds.

‘I think he thinks I did it.’

‘You wouldn’t hurt me, I know that. I know what I saw.’ Seokjin coughs and brings a hand to his chest. His lungs feel as if they’re filled with water, or something sticky, making it hard to breathe. 

'Of course I wouldn't,' Jungkook frowns. ‘But I was there and it’s easy to blame me.’ He sighs and falls forward, resting his head against Seokjin's tummy. The gesture is unfamiliar, an intimacy Seokjin had never thought he'd share with Jungkook, but in the moment it feels nice. Other than the ghost, Seokjin doesn't remember much of his evening, Jungkook's presence is grounding. It makes him feel less frightened and less alone. 

When Seokjin sleeps he dreams of the flames, of bathing himself amongst them, melting into the wooden floor of the library, his gaze held by the bright white eyes of the ghostly figure. 

‘I’m being suspended,’ Jungkook announces as he slams the door of the headmaster's office behind him. He crumples the letter in his hands and shoves it into his pockets. ‘Pending further investigation, what a joke.’

‘I’ll talk to him,’ Seokjin stands, reaching out to hold the railing as he wobbles. The hospital had released him and advised him to go straight home to rest, but of course, knowing that Jungkook could be in trouble because of him, he’d insisted on coming along. 

The headmaster hadn’t listened when Seokjin had told him what he’d seen. The man had only given him a pitying smile and closed the door in Seokjin’s face. 

‘He’s not going to listen to reason,’ Jungkook frowns. ‘I’ll have to figure it out, maybe try and get the firefighters to reinvestigate or something.’

‘We’ll investigate,’ Seokjin says decisively. ‘It’s my fault you’re in this mess, we’ll find out what caused the fire.’

‘Are you trained for that?’ Jungkook hitches an eyebrow. 

‘No but I’ve read a lot of books, I’m sure I’ve got some information stored up in my big brain,’ Seokjin offers Jungkook a smile and the man grins back.

‘Okay. Fire detectives Jungkook and Seokjin.’ 

‘I think my name should come first,’ Seokjin points out, letting Jungkook hook their arms together whilst they exit the building. 

‘No, I’m the accused, I have more stakes in this!’ 

Jungkook ends up crashing on Seokjin’s couch that night. They’d initially started researching other cases of spontaneous combustion, creepy ghost people in fires, and had wound up a mess of tangled limbs on the sofa, a ghost programme playing on the tv. 

They’d found out pretty quickly that most people online discussing fires and ghosts are quite insane. Seokjin finds a community of arsonists and quickly backs out of that forum meanwhile Jungkook watches video after video of spontaneous combustion, jumping scared everytime it happens. 

There’s no quarreling or scornful looks, just a few hours of giggling and peace where Seokjin wonders why it feels so different to spend time together outside of the school or why he’s suddenly more relaxed in Jungkook’s presence. He knows that they’ve never truly hated each other––people who hate each other don’t share lunches and eat together every day––but Seokjin had maintained to himself and to those around him that Jungkook’s presence was nothing more than a nuisance. 

Perhaps, he tries to convince himself, it’s just that he feels indebted after Jungkook had saved his life. Perhaps he’s afraid the ghostly figure that had tried to set him on fire in the library will return and he’d rather not be alone when that happens, or perhaps Seokjin just doesn’t dislike Jungkook as much as he’d thought.

If half of his reasoning had been that Jungkook was annoying, well, he is, and Seokjin finds that he actually likes that. Outside of the school even Seokjin is less serious and Jungkook’s playful banter and ability to rile Seokjin up becomes less annoying and more endearing. After a few hours, Seokjin can almost forget why he’d disliked him in the first place.

When he closes his eyes to fall asleep, he tries to remind himself. 

The ugly red tracksuits and the annoying sports days and his poor paperwork skills, and yet, as Jungkook snores by Seokjin’s side, none of it really seems all that important anymore. He considers that working together on this mystery might even prove that they’re more alike than he’d thought. 

The library is closed off, tape wrapped around the windows and the corridor leading up to it. Seokjin feels more steady on his feet as they approach and for the first time since leaving the hospital, he can take a deep breath without the sensation of suffocating. He’s sure the trauma of it all will hit him eventually but for now he’s focused, determined. Jungkook being accused of a crime with no reasoning and losing a job he’d worked hard to get just doesn’t sit right with Seokjin. Regardless of the fact he might lose his job too, he can’t let Jungkook go through this alone and he certainly can’t sleep well at night knowing a perfectly innocent person may lose their livelihood when Seokjin can help. 

They’d been expecting that the library be shut, but neither of them had anticipated the guard sitting outside of the charred door, book in hand and scowl on his lips. Besides the fact that Jungkook shouldn’t even be on campus, Seokjin is sure that any teachers who see them will report them to the headmaster. And even though Seokjin puts on his most charming smile in an attempt to convince the guard to let them pass, he refuses to budge.

And yet, Seokjin is more determined than ever. He takes things seriously, everything, and this is no exception. They hatch a plan to return after dark with flashlights, praying that the guard won’t be stationed there overnight. 

Crossing the campus after dark feels scarier now than ever. Seokjin can’t help but glance around for ghostly figures and he’s glad when he reaches out and finds Jungkook close by. 

Jungkook, who is strong and who has managed the past few days pretending it doesn’t suck that he might lose his job. They head for one of the side doors, past the looming soot covered walls of the library, the blackness like an inkstain on the school. 

Seokjin can see the remnants of shelves through the gaps in the tape and for a second he pauses to mourn for all of the knowledge lost and all of the books that will never be read again. 

They make their way through the eerily silent corridors and reach the library, sighing in relief when they find no guard outside. The doors are hanging off of their hinges, the edges charred and black. The wood flooring is missing in some places, collapsing in others. As Seokjin looks up, he notices that even the ceiling is black, darker than the night sky. 

Of the books, very little remains and Seokjin tears up at the realisation. He knows they’re replaceable, that they’re just objects, but few places carry such rare knowledge as this library had, with books and texts dating back hundreds of years lost so suddenly. 

‘Hyung?’ Jk hisses, pulling Seokjin from his thoughts. 

Seokjin lets out a heavy sigh and feels his lungs protest at the effort. ‘It’s sad,’ he says. 

‘The fire?’

‘The books.’

‘They’re just books, Hyung. The school can get more.’

‘Some of them weren’t replaceable, some were rare, and either way, it could take years to rebuild and replace everything in here. The students will miss out on learning the joy of reading,’ Seokjin’s voice quivers. 

‘You really take your job seriously, ha?’ Jungkook asks.

‘Of course I do. Do you know how important it is that children understand the importance of learning? Of how fun it can be?’ 

Jungkook shakes his head. ‘I don’t really understand, I never had a teacher like you.’

Seokjin finds himself blushing. 

‘The fire started over here,’ he says, changing the subject and starting towards one of the rows. The shelf is nothing but a pile of half burnt wood chunks and blackened leather, damp still from the water that had been used to put the fire out. ‘I didn’t see it start, but from what I understand, the place where there’s the most destruction is the place it’s most likely to have started.’ 

The ceiling above is completely gone, the only remnants being some burnt roof tiles and overhanging beams. The place doesn’t feel structurally sound in the slightest, but even the floor underneath their feet is more unstable in this specific spot. 

‘And where did you see this man?’

‘Ghost. He was a ghost and I saw him standing here.’ 

‘Right,’ Jungkook rolls his eyes. ‘Hyung I know you’re pretty gullible, but ghosts aren’t real.’ 

‘He was glowing and see through! What else could he possibly have been?’

‘I don’t know, you do have a pretty good imagination,’ Jungkook points out. ‘Maybe we should look for a more logical explanation first.’ 

Seokjin hates to admit it, but Jungkook is probably right. They sift through the debri in the area the fire started and find nothing but soot and ash and crumbling pieces of bookshelf. Eventually they find a few almost intact books on the further away shelves, as well as one book completely untouched by the fire, shoved behind a shelf that had only been partially singed. 

Seokjin opens it up but it’s too dark to read. Everything around them smells like damp and smoke, and if he’s honest, he’s not hopeful they’ll find much more. 

‘Maybe we should go,’ Jungkook suggests, frowning at his soot-covered hands. Seokjin wants to argue that they should keep looking when they hear footsteps from across the room, echoing loud amongst the empty shelves. They both drop low and duck behind a fallen beam, dirtying their knees as they huddle close. 

‘Who's there?’ A voice calls, deep and scratchy and hollow, as if it’s coming from inside of a wooden box. Seokjin feels the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as the familiar tone runs its way through his body. 

‘It’s the ghost,’ Seokjin hisses. He remembers little of the fire but he remembers everything about the ghostly man with his blue tinge and resonant voice. 

‘No way,’ Jungkook shakes his head but he looks terrified, the colour draining from his face in an instant. There’s something to be said about coming face to face with a ghost, and even more to be said about coming face to face with a ghost in a 4 hundred year old school whilst hiding behind a charred bookshelf in a crispy library. 

‘We should talk to him,’ Seokjin says, looking around wide-eyed. He can’t quite place where the voice is coming from, the hollow calls sound as if they’re all around them, closing in more and more by the second. 

‘Are you insane?!’ Jungkook whisper-yells, his voice pitchy and panicked. Of course Seokjin isn’t insane, he thinks it’s perfectly reasonable to speak to the only other person who had seen what happened in the library and who might in fact be the arsonist himself. 

‘What harm could it do?’

‘Seokjin! It tried to kill you!’

‘Actually murder was never my intention, it only would have been an annoying outcome,’ comes the voice, closer now but still nowhere in sight. Jungkook wraps his arms around his head and folds forward so he’s crouched between Seokjin’s thighs.

‘We’re gonna die,’ he whispers. ‘Oh god, oh fuck we’re gonna die and I’ll never get to teach you how to properly serve in tennis or how to make the best sandwiches.’

Seokjin tries not to be endeared by Jungkook's fearful whispers and instead stands up, ignoring how he screams and wraps his arms around Seokjin’s legs for protection.

‘Who are you?’ Seokjin says to the empty library, all quietness dissolved. The answer takes a moment to come, and it does so in the form of an apparition. It’s not the kind like they’d seen on the ghost shows, all shadowy and black and barely an apparition at all, instead it’s a man appearing from thin air with a hum and a blue glow, dressed in period clothing with a smile on his downturned lips. 

Seokjin is certain this is the ghost who set the fire. The fuzzy images of his face form into one piece before Seokjin’s eyes, the cat-like eyes and the rounded cheeks, the dark wavy hair pushed behind small ears. The ghost is quite beautiful, Seokjin isn’t afraid at all. He feels like he’d been to hell and back these past few days with his damaged lungs and sudden flammable nightmares, the sight of something familiar that could hold the key to all of their questions is welcomed. 

‘Hello,’ Seokjin breathes. ‘Wonderful evening we’re having.’

‘Don’t talk to it!’ Jungkook whines. ‘Seriously if we get murdered by a ghost in a damned library I’ll never forgive you, I’ll piss you off through life AND death, just you wait!’

Seokjin ignores Jungkook’s protests and kicks him lightly to shut him up. The ghost regards them with amusement, a sparkle in his eye as he watches them bicker back and forth. 

‘I once knew someone like that,’ the ghost says, gesturing to Jungkook. 

‘Did you set him on fire too?’ Jungkook mumbles. 

‘No, I fell in love with him,’ he scoffs. ‘Yoongi. Min Yoongi.’ 

‘Seokjin, and this is Jungkook,’ 

‘Don’t tell him my name!’

‘Oh won’t you stop being a baby and get up?’ Seokjin demands, stomping his foot for good measure and shaking Jungkook off. He falls back against the sooty floor, face inches from Yoongi’s ghostly knees.

Needless to say, Jungkook stands up as quickly as he can.

‘Now then, Yoongi, why did you try to set me on fire?’

The ghost giggles. ‘It was an accident,’ he says, but he can’t hold back his laughter and bursts out.

‘It’s really not funny, I nearly died!’

‘It's true, I had to give him mouth to mouth,’ Jungkook adds, folding his arms across his chest. His entire body is covered in soot from the fire, he looks like a burnt piece of bread with the brown of his leather coat showing through the gaps. 

‘You kissed me?!’ Cries Seokjin, wiping at his lips all of a sudden. ‘This just gets worse and worse. Attempted murder by a ghost, a kiss of life from my worst enemy.’

Jungkook tsks beside him. ‘Save a guy's life and this is the thanks I get.’

‘Men,’ Yoongi complains, and Jungkook agrees easily, rolling his eyes.

‘You never answered my question, Min Yoongi!’ 

‘It’s a dumb question,’ shrugs the ghost, his clothes flitting in and out of existence. Seokjin ponders whether he has to pull energy from somewhere to appear to them like this and how solid of a form he actually has. To set the fire, he would have needed enough force to strike a match. 

‘What’s the correct question?’ 

‘Remove yourself from the equation, you’ll understand more that way.’

Seokjin groans. He hates riddles. 

‘Right. Why did you set the fire?’ 

‘Well, that’s simple, it was a cry for help!’ the ghost smiles a wide smile, showing off his creepy translucent little teeth. ‘You see, I have been stuck here for an age in this damned library. I can’t leave, I can’t even walk out those two doors without––’. 

He steps towards the doors and puts a single finger over the threshold. His entire body disappears. 

‘See?’ he calls from above them, perched dangerously on one of the bookshelves. ‘I can’t leave and I can’t move on and I have tried absolutely everything.’

Jungkook looks at Seokjin and they blink. 

‘So what do we have to do with this?’

‘The fire was a last ditch attempt to escape. I thought maybe if the place was burned to the ground, I’d be free of it, but no such luck. Seokjin here was just an unfortunate mishap in the plan, I hadn’t expected anyone to actually be in here, and when I noticed him I could only apologise and try to keep the flames at bay as long as I could hold my form,’ Yoongi explains. He talks quicker now, as if he’s running out of time. Seokjin notices his fingertips starting to fade, the tips of his hair growing more and more translucent by the second. 

‘Jungkook is going to lose his job, they think he tried to hurt me,’ says Seokjin. ‘Can you help us? Prove that it wasn’t him?’

‘If you’d attempted murder and the worst punishment you’d been given was a suspension from your cushy little job, I’d have to assume they don’t have much evidence.’

‘They have no evidence,’ Jungkook points out. ‘But Seokjin is risking his job to prove my innocence and that’s a really big deal. Do you know how much his job and his students mean to him?’

The ghost sighs and folds his arms over his chest. 

‘Fine. We’ll strike a deal,’ he starts, pacing around as more and more of his body fades and disappears. ‘You figure out how to release me from this eternal fucking prison and I’ll show my face to the headmaster and prove his innocence. Deal?’

‘Deal!’ Jungkook cries, suddenly smiling. ‘Do ghosts go back on their deals? Should we trust him? Hyung?’

Seokjin blinks back the emotion filling his eyes and nods. ‘Yoongi wouldn’t let us down, we might be his only hope.’

The ghost nods in agreement and then as quickly as he’d appeared, he fades away completely until all that stands in front of them is a cold fog and the burnt shelves. 

Unsurprisingly, there isn’t a whole lot of information to be found online about helping ghosts pass on. Beyond the generic premise of talking to them and helping them understand why they need to go, the most Seokjin can find are weird séance rituals and bad horror movies. 

He spends hours staring at weird black blobs and trying to find examples of people who have experienced ghosts like Yoongi, but comes up with nothing. Beyond that, Seokjin can’t help but return to the library and sit amongst it’s ruins, trying to figure out what to do next whilst the ghost wails some terrible song that echoes into the deep darkness of the night. 

The comfy chairs are gone and the floor is hard and black but he sits nonetheless, deep in thought, wondering how his life had so quickly turned on its head and when it’ll get back to normal. 

A week passes and they still find nothing. There’s no news from the headmaster either, but that doesn’t make it any less necessary to find a way to help Yoongi. Seokjin takes everything seriously, and especially this, when someone is asking for help and obviously needs it. 

The only good thing he finds about the time passing is that he spends most of it with Jungkook. With no looming deadlines and a student teacher taking over Seokjin’s position whilst he recovers, and with Jungkook out of a job and possibly a place to live, the younger seems to crash at Seokjin’s more often than not. 

Before, the idea of Jungkook even being within the vicinity of Seokjin’s apartment would have made him roll his eyes but now, he finds he likes the company. Seokjin’s other friends had tried to be helpful but it had only annoyed him, he didn’t want to be treated like some sick child who couldn’t do anything for himself, and Jungkook doesn’t treat him like that. Jungkook still teases him and makes fun of his clothes and pokes his glasses up his nose when they slip down, he treats him like normal. If he’s a little more careful or a little more caring, Seokjin doesn’t notice, perhaps he’s even glad for it.

The leaves begin to fall outside of his window, the dark browns turning to wet blacks as they soak in puddles on the ground. The world outside feels distant, like a mystery, and Seokjin finds himself so caught up in fires and ghosts that it’s hard to do anything normal.

‘We have to go grocery shopping,’ Jungkook says one day. Seokjin doesn’t really know if it’s been weeks or months since the fire, it all blurs into an amalgamation of days where the only consistent thing is Jungkook’s presence. 

‘We?’ he blinks. 

‘Yes,’ replies Jungkook, gesturing around at the messy apartment. His stuff is everywhere, his clothes drying on the backs of chairs, his game consoles with their tangled wires sitting at the base of Seokjin’s TV, Jungkook’s pillows on the couch, his blankets on the floor where they’re huddled over a laptop, reading about glowing ghosts.

Seokjin sighs and glances at the rain outside of the window. In the distance he can see the school, it's towers looming like demons over the town, all grey stone and gloom. He’d never really thought of the place as anything but wonderful and good but recently he notices himself seeing it in a new light. 

He stands up from their huddle and makes his way to the kitchen, his tummy gurgling with hope at the possibility of being fed. Jungkook is right, Seokjin quickly discovers, the cupboards are empty and the fridge has days old takeout containers and sauces but nothing else. Seokjin loved cooking but now it seems like a chore.

‘We can just order takeout again,’ he shrugs, returning to the living room. Jungkook is up, blankets tossed back onto the sofa and laptop shut. He hops up and down as he tries to squeeze himself into a tight pair of jeans. Seokjin chuckles. 

‘Don’t laugh at me, all this takeout is ruining my body. We need to eat something fresh, something home-cooked,’ Jungkook says, forcing the button at the top of the fly together. He turns towards Seokjin and tugs his t-shirt off, stepping forward and handing it to him as he passes and heads for his drying clothes. Seokjin squeezes the warm fabric and tries not to stare at the pretty expanse of Jungkook’s freckled back. 

He’s noticed a lot about Jungkook he never thought he would, it’s inevitable when you spend so much time with someone. Jungkook has freckles and beauty marks all over his body in the places you’d least expect. Below his bottom lip, between his shoulder blades, a line of them up his thigh. Sometimes when Jungkook falls asleep in the day, Seokjin will let himself trace the patterns with his eyes, ignoring the part of him that so desperately wants to reach out and feel them beneath his fingertips. 

‘Okay, we can go grocery shopping,’ Seokjin agrees, letting the shirt drop to the floor. He passes Jungkook, running a hand over his waist as he steps towards his bedroom, feeling a shiver of excitement building it’s way through his body at the daring touch. 

It’s easier to admit now that he does want to touch Jungkook. It’s not something he wants to ignore anymore, in fact. However it’s hard to let himself want things like that, especially when it’s Jungkook and especially when he knows the history they have makes it harder to understand how his feelings could change. Jungkook pulled him from a fire and Jungkook was never anything but sweet when he teased and Seokjin had been the one scowling and pushing him away for superficial reasons that were nothing more than his fear of change. Jungkook was new and Jungkook had changed things and Seokjin hadn’t ever wanted to admit that, not even to himself. 

But with Jungkook so present and so kind, it’s harder and harder to ignore the longing he feels so strongly, thrumming through his entire body each night when Jungkook sleeps on the couch next door and Seokjin wants him in his arms. 

He tries not to pay attention to whether Jungkook wants that too. Seokjin thinks it would be a fool's errand, to convince himself that Jungkook returns his affections in a way that’s more than friendly. It’s not that Seokjin isn’t confident in himself, it’s just that he’d spent so long making Jungkook feel unwelcome, he’s not sure how those feelings could possibly coincide with his crush. 

When he returns to the living room fully dressed, Jungkook smiles so wide it hurts. Seokjin shakes his head and returns the smile back. 

‘Oh, let's get hamburgers, Hyung!’ Jungkook chirps, wheeling the shopping cart forward at an alarming speed. Seokjin jogs to catch up. 

‘I thought you wanted healthy food?’ he hitches an eyebrow. 

‘If we put salad on it then it is healthy,’ decides Jungkook. ‘We can get other healthy food, one unhealthy meal is good for raising spirits!’ 

‘Raising spirits is the opposite of our problem,’ scoffs Seokjin. 

‘Terrible, your jokes are terrible, I don’t know why I like you so much,’ pouts Jungkook. He stops suddenly and a blush creeps up his cheeks that Seokjin doesn’t fail to notice. Even he feels the heat emanating from Jungkook’s skin and he’s a few steps away. 

‘It’s because I’m handsome,’ Seokjin says, trying to dissipate the tension. Jungkook rolls his eyes and relaxes, shoving him lightly. 

It feels nice to do something normal and by the time they’re home and Seokjin has cooked them dinner, the fog seems to lift from his brain a little. 

‘Why don’t we try talking to Yoongi?’ he suggests. ‘You know, like, learning about him to see if any of it will help us understand how to help him move on.’

Jungkook nods. ‘We’ll go tonight, the sooner I get my job back the better.’ 

The moon is full and so bright that it illuminates the paths in front of them enough that they don’t need flashlights. Jungkook holds Seokjin’s hand as they scurry from one corner to another and make their way inside of the school building. The place is never locked, at least, not by the side doors, so getting in is easy enough. 

Debris had been cleared in the library but besides that, the place looks much the same. The walls are still black like tar and the floor still creaks and lurches beneath their feet. Seokjin wonders where the students are studying now, without the trusty library to house them. He also wonders how they’re doing in general and a pang of guilt urges him to check in as soon as he can. 

‘Yoongi?’ Jungkook calls, staring up into the empty rafters. The ghostly apparition appears beside Seokjin, the coldness he emanates is a shock to his system and makes him tremble all over so suddenly. 

‘Have you figured something out?’ Yoongi asks, eyes wide and hopeful. Jungkook looks at Seokjin and they both shake their heads. ‘Oh.’

‘We thought maybe you could tell us some stuff about you and perhaps it might lead us somewhere,’ Seokjin explains. ‘We’ve been researching nonstop but so far we’ve found nothing.’

Yoongi sighs and folds himself into a sitting position mid air. ‘Fine, I’ll give you all the dirty details.’

‘How did you die exactly?’ Jungkook asks, stepping closer to Seokjin. Yoongi’s general coldness combined with the brisk autumn they’re having means everything feels cold. 

‘It’s rude to ask that, but I’ll allow it just this once,’ Yoongi hmphs. ‘The truth of the fact is that I’m not entirely sure. I was studying here when it was a university campus and had been up all night reading books by the fire. I remember hearing the door creak open, the sound of footsteps and the next thing I knew I was standing over my own dead body.’

‘So you were murdered?’ gasps Jungkook. ‘Cool!’

‘Not cool,’ scowls Yoongi. ‘I’d recently fallen in love with the person I thought I’d spend my life with. Of course, at the time, it was quite illegal for us to be together and it likely would have resulted in our deaths but, well, I was so in the throes of love I wasn’t even considering the implications of what that meant.’

Seokjin glances at Jungkook and nods. ‘Who were you in love with?’

‘His name was Park Jimin, he was just starting at the university, the son of a noble man who had never been good to him. He wanted to become a children's doctor, and his laugh was my favourite sound,’ Yoongi sighs. ‘I don’t remember much about my life, it’s been so long, but I remember everything about Jimin.’

‘I’m sorry things ended up the way they did,’ Jungkook sniffles. 

‘It’s okay,’ smiles Yoongi. ‘I got to know him and love him for a whole year, that’s more than I could ever have asked for.’

‘What were you reading when you died?’ Seokjin asks. 

‘Oh, I’m not sure, it was some book about ancient alchemy I believe.’

‘Oh my god,’ Seokjin breathes. ‘Yoongi, you sweet little cherub of a ghost! I have a lead!’

Yoongi stands and steps forward. ‘Don’t mess with me Seokjin.’

‘I’m not! The first night we were here after the fire I picked up a book, it was the only one that survived the flames. It’s a book about ancient alchemy written by Nicholas Flamel, I took it back to my apartment!’

‘Oh shit,’ Jungkook whispers. ‘Do you mean to say we might have had the answer this entire time?’

‘I’m not sure, I mean, it’s just a book, right? But it has to mean something that you were reading it, that it was still here and that it survived the fire.’ 

Jungkook looks up at Seokjin and beams. ‘You’re so smart, Hyung.’

The compliment makes Seokjin blush and he shoves Jungkook, ignoring the way Yoongi stares at them, his lips tilted into a knowing smirk.

‘It must be wonderful to fall in love like that, huh?’ Jungkook says as they make their way back across campus to Seokjin’s apartment. 

‘Like what?’

‘Well, like Yoongi and Jimin. To fall in love in spite of all the odds and knowing it may never work out how you expect, it’s quite special,’ he continues. ‘I always thought I’d hear bells ringing when I fell in love.’ 

‘And did you?’ Seokjin asks, meeting Jungkook's gaze. The man smiles softly and shakes his head. 

‘I don’t know yet.’

Seokjin finds the book of alchemy hidden beneath a pile of dirty clothes in his bedroom. The cover is old and worn but doesn’t have a single spot of fire or water damage. The book would have to have survived almost 6 centuries, according to the date of publication printed on the back. The book itself is a first edition with Nicholas Flamel's signature scrawled and faded on the first page in red ink, and again he wonders if that’s important. It suddenly feels as if they have all of the pieces of the puzzle but no idea how they fit together and all it had taken was a conversation with Yoongi.

At first, Seokjin flicks through the book, wondering if anything of Yoongi’s had gotten caught in the pages when he’d died. He can’t imagine it’s been read very much since then, Seokjin is sure he’s read every book in that library and he’s never come across this one. Besides, alchemy isn’t a subject taught commonly, nor is it one he imagines any of their students would ever have decided to read. 

The book itself isn’t easily understood by someone unfamiliar with alchemy, such as Seokjin. It seems to show the plans for an arched window designed to fit above a door in a city lost an age before Flamel had even been born. Seokjin opens to the centre of the book and finds an odd insert with scrawled handwriting. 

He can barely read it but he thinks it says something about eternal life, which had been Flamels main focus as an alchemist, and below that, there’s a faded half handprint made with blood. Seokjin can’t imagine why Flamel would have had this printed. He runs his fingers over it and they come back wet. The red on Seokjin’s fingers is sticky and warm, like blood. A realisation so shocking hits him and he drops the book, letting it clatter to the floor with a shriek.

‘Oh my god,’ Seokjin breathes. ‘Jungkook!’

The man rushes into Seokjin’s bedroom, toothbrush in his mouth and hair wet and messy from the shower. ‘What?’

‘Yoongi must have grabbed the book when he died, look.’ He picks the book back up and holds up the page for Jungkook to see. The younger blinks, the toothbrush twitching between his cheeks. 

‘Why would that have made him stuck?’ he mumbles, words half distorted by the intrusion in his mouth. If Seokjin weren’t so positively enthralled by the mystery unfolding in front of them, perhaps he’d pause to tease Jungkook or call him cute.

‘Flamel was obsessed with finding the elixir of life, he wanted to be immortal. I can’t read what it says here but it’s about that, maybe it was some kind of alchemical composition? Left on the page? I’m not sure. I don’t think we’ll find a way to understand, but I think if we destroy this page or this book, Yoongi might be able to move on,’ Seokjin explains. He’s out of breath by the time he’s done speaking and grinning like a madman. Jungkook smiles back, rushes forward and engulfs him in a wet hug. 

‘I get my job back?’ he whispers. ‘We get to work together again?’

‘Yeah,’ Seokjin replies. ‘It’s all gonna work out.’ 

They rush back to the library before dawn and show Yoongi the book. He recognises it, the page as well and curses at himself for not realising sooner that it might have something to do with his eternal ghost life. Yoongi had been a non-believer in anything like that, he’d thought Nicholas Flamel some comedic creature who had lost his mind a little, but after being trapped as a ghost for so long, Yoongi admits he might be swayed to believe. 

Dawn breaks and they hear teachers start to enter the school, readying themselves for the day. Both Seokjin and Jungkook understand that they now have to get the headmaster to the library, that Yoongi has to go ahead with his part of the deal and convince him that it hadn’t been Jungkook who set the fire, that it had been the library ghost all along. 

Jungkook takes the lead, exuding confidence as he strolls down the corridor, a black streak of soot on his cheek from where he’d wiped at his face. Seokjin jogs to keep up and eventually they find themselves in front of the headmasters office. 

‘Okay,’ Jungkook takes a deep breath. ‘Let's do this.’ 

He takes Seokjin’s hand in his and pushes open the door. 

‘Excuse me?’ Jungkook says. The headmaster turns, a scowl adorning his face once he realises who it is. His gaze flits from their joined hands to Jungkook’s eyes and he sighs. 

‘What do you want?’

‘We figured out who set the library on fire,’ starts Jungkook. ‘If you follow me, I can show you.’

‘Is this some kind of joke?’ the headmaster blinks. 

Jungkook holds back his frustration and shakes his head. Seokjin feels a little useless by his side, admittedly still unable to speak to the man. 

‘Please, let me show you,’ replies Jungkook. 

The headmaster frowns but nods, stepping out from behind his desk to follow them. Seokjin feels his heart beating in his throat as they walk the short distance to the library. He worries Yoongi won’t be able to appear, that he’ll decide not to just to spite them for taking so long to figure things out. Jungkook seems to notice his apprehension and squeezes Seokjin’s hand, pulling him along until they reach the doors. 

‘Can you please explain to me what’s going on?’ the headmaster demands, following them through the doors anyway. 

‘Yoongi?’ Jungkook calls, letting go of Seokjin’s hand to step further into the library. There’s a sudden cold wind and then Yoongi appears, his blue-ish glow descending from the ceiling until he’s on the ground and smiling. 

‘Pleasure to meet you, the headmaster I presume?’ 

The headmaster blinks, his mouth dropped open in shock. As if by default, he holds out his hand for Yoongi to take. Yoongi shakes his hand, using all of his energy to create a form strong enough to do so. 

‘As you can see, I made quite a mess here,’ Yoongi continues, gesturing around the place. ‘I’ve been trapped here for centuries, you understand. A dull place to be trapped. I thought that, after trying everything to escape his immortal hell hole, perhaps burning it down would be the best method.’ 

‘I-I don’t understand, you’re–.’

‘Dead, darling. Yes, quite. Seokjin here almost joined me but luckily his dashing lover strode through the flames and pulled him out,’ smirks Yoongi.

‘We’re not––’, Seokjin flushes, gesturing between himself and Jungkook. ‘Just friends, Yoongi.’

‘Yes, as were Jimin and I to the rest of the world,’ he sighs. ‘Regardless, I wanted to clear this lovely chap's name, you see, it was me who set the fire.’ 

‘A g-ghost.’

‘Yes.’ Yoongi takes a match from a nearby table and strikes it, holding the dazzling flame for a few seconds to prove that he’s capable. His eyes glint in the glowing light and his smirk looks almost menacing as he steps even closer and blows out the flame.

‘Right,’ is all the headmaster says. He hesitates for a second and then quickly turns on his heels and marches straight out of the library. Jungkook and Seokjin nearly trip to catch up with him. 

‘Sir?’ Jungkook calls. ‘I just want my job back!’

‘You can have your job back,’ the headmaster whispers. He stops and stares at his own hand, analysing it as if the ghost could have left traces. 

‘What? Really?’ Jungkook beams. He turns towards Seokjin and hugs him quickly. ‘Thanks!’

The headmaster slumps down against the wall, hand still held in front of him and starts to scream, a low, warped noise that hurts Seokjin and Jungkook’s ears. 

‘Don’t worry, we’re working on getting rid of the ghost,’ Seokjin yells over the screaming. They don’t hang around for much longer to listen and decide to return to Seokjin’s apartment to figure out the next steps in their plan.

As it turns out, the paper cannot be destroyed. Not by fire, water, tearing or any other method they try. Jungkook nearly breaks an arm trying to tear the book from its binding, and Seokjin can’t help but wince at his destruction. Of course, it wouldn’t be so easy. 

The thing had survived the entire library burning down, it had survived wars and floods and plagues. It wouldn’t be destroyed by two men and a lighter, nor would it be destroyed by the end of the world. 

Seokjin reads through it again and again, trying his best to decipher more of the illegible scrawl of Flamel’s handwriting. 

He picks up on some words, life, death, the end of times, the philosopher's stone. He’s not sure how any of those things really help them. 

‘Hyung,’ Jungkook says, his voice half asleep. ‘What if we have to return the book to its owner?’ 

‘Hmm?’

‘Well, I’m reading about Flamel and he was obsessed with things being not quite what they seem. As above, so below, whatever you think to be true, is true. Well, if the book is referencing eternal life, but Flamel died then perhaps he needs the book and perhaps if we return it, Yoongi will be free.’ 

‘That doesn’t sound wrong,’ Seokjin decides. ‘We could try it but, well, Flamel was french. He’s buried in Paris.’ 

‘Yeah,’ Jungkook sighs. ‘I don’t know what to suggest then.’ 

‘I think we should get some sleep, huh? Maybe it’ll become clearer in the morning.’ 

Jungkook nods and crawls up onto Seokjin’s bed. He doesn’t hesitate to get comfy, wrapping the blankets around himself. 

‘Hyung?’ he murmurs, patting the space beside him. Seokjin turns out the light, puts down the book and lays down too. He turns so he’s facing away from Jungkook, suddenly all too awake and aware of Jungkook’s presence and how close he feels. 

Jungkook had said he liked him, but Seokjin had taken it to mean as a friend. He hadn’t wanted to get his hopes up, he still doesn’t. They’ll go back to work and things will return to normal and Jungkook won’t be sleeping on his couch or staying up with him all night or helping him wash dishes whilst they dance around the kitchen. 

‘Jungkook?’ Seokjin whispers. 

‘Mmn?’

‘I like you too,’ he says, the words catching in his throat. Jungkook just shuffles closer, pressing his forehead against the space between Seokjin’s shoulder blades. 

‘I know, Hyung,’ he mumbles. 

-

‘SO, get this!’ Jungkook cries, slamming a heavy book down on the table. The teachers around them in the lounge turn to stare. 

‘Quiet, JK.’

‘Oh, sorry,’ he blushes. ‘I found this book online and I was waiting for it to come through since the night we thought we’d cracked the case, you remember?’

‘It was only a week ago, Jungkook,’ Seokjin giggles. 

‘Right. Anyway!’ he opens the book to a page and points. ‘Flamel was rumoured to have had his body distributed in multiple burial sites in the hopes he would be able to free roam the earth if he didn’t survive death.’

‘Okay?’

‘One of those burial sites is only a few miles away, Hyung. The book being here must have meant Flamel himself visited before he died to leave it, he wanted it to be returned to his body but it obviously didn’t work and poor Yoongi got stuck instead.’ 

‘Oh my god, Jungkook!’ Seokjin squeals. ‘You figured it out!’ 

Jungkook beams. 

‘Hyung, will you accompany me to a graveyard later this evening?’ he asks, a mischievous smile on his lips. 

Seokjin returns the expression and nods. ‘I would love to.’ 

It doesn’t really hit home that they’re going to have to become grave robbers for their plan to work until they’re standing outside of the gates of the graveyard with shovels in hand. Jungkook seems excited but Seokjin is filled with dread. 

Robbing a grave is not only an awful thing to do, but it is also a crime. 

‘We’re not robbing a grave,’ Jungkook reminds him as they climb the steep hill towards the crypts. ‘We’re returning a possession to a dead man.’ 

‘It’s still weird,’ shrugs Seokjin. 

‘Do you want an angry ghost attacking you when you go to the library?’ 

‘No,’ Seokjin sighs.

‘Then we dig up the grave!’

Flamel had his arm buried here in a crypt with a famous philosopher whose views on death had been much different to most peoples at the time. He’d believed in reincarnation, in spirits and eternal life after death. He and Flamel had met up on multiple occasions and became good friends so it was only natural that Flamel had him bury his arm here after his death. The philosopher had taught at the school and Seokjin guesses that’s how the book ended up there instead of with Flamel. 

‘There,’ Jungkook points out. ‘The one with the open door.’

‘It’s like the dead man is inviting us in, I don’t know whether to be creeped out or thankful.’

The crypt is lit by candles, the kind that don’t seem to burn out. It’s an odd detail considering the place was built centuries ago, but Seokjin is just thankful for the light. He’s half worried they’ll come face to face with the angry ghost of Nicolas Flamel and half worried they’ll meet the cemetery guard and be thrown in prison for crimes against the dead. 

Seokjin doesn’t know much about the justice system but he’s pretty sure that they couldn’t use Yoongi as an excuse to dig up someone's grave. 

The crypt has a set of stairs that they follow down and once they reach the bottom, the candles flicker on, inviting them to go deeper. 

‘You know, before all of this, I didn’t believe in ghosts or magic or anything like that,’ Jungkook says, walking closer to Seokjin. ‘I’m starting to think I was wrong to not believe.’ 

‘I think it’s only human,’ Seokjin replies. ‘This place does give me the creeps though, even if I’m used to Yoongi’s ghost, I’m not ready for another one.’

They walk down a narrow corridor where the walls are made of stone and come to a stop in front of a door inscribed with latin words that Seokjin doesn’t understand. It opens with ease, not even a squeak and they find themselves in a domed room with coffins lining the walls. Jungkook is practically shaking with fear beside Seokjin, but he steps forward nonetheless. 

‘Flamel won’t be in one of the coffins,’ he says. ‘He didn’t want his body to be difficult to find, he wanted it returned to earth.’ 

‘Won’t the bones be dust by now?’ Seokjin wonders. 

‘He’s in a casket, just not one of those.’

‘Oh.’ Seokjin gulps hard. 

‘Centre of the room is probably a good bet, right?’ 

‘Or where those candles are all huddled in that spot over there,’ Seokjin gestures to a makeshift shrine and shudders. 

‘Good call.’

They start digging and it’s not long before Seokjin’s shovel collides with something hard and metal. He takes a deep breath and both him and Jungkook kneel down to dust away the remaining dirt. 

It’s a metal box, heavy with sharp edges. It looks almost new, with barely any scratches and only a small dent where Seokjin had just hit it. It’s secured by a lock that Jungkook breaks open easily with his shovel and then there, before their eyes, is a perfectly preserved arm sitting atop a satin cushion.

‘I hate this,’ Jungkook says. ‘This is worse than if it had been a bone.’

‘This is remarkable.’

‘It’s an arm, Seokjin. The arm of a man who's been dead for 500 years!’

‘And it’s perfectly preserved.’ 

‘Just put the book in, please?’ 

Seokjin nods and takes the book from his backpack. He places it beside the hand and they quickly seal the box and rebury it. By the time they’re done they’re dripping with sweat, the fire from the candles and the exertion of the digging hitting them all at once. 

‘Seokjin Hyung,’ Jungkook says, his breath coming in quick gasps. ‘I’m glad it’s you that I get to do this with.’

‘What? Dig up a grave?’

‘Yes, there’s no one else in the world I’d rather get into trouble with,’ he grins. 

Seokjin rolls his eyes and they gather the shovels, heading back towards the entrance. They won’t know if it worked until they go to the library, but Seokjin thinks that can wait until tomorrow, for now he just wants to go home, have a nice long bath and watch crappy tv. 

They step out into the graveyard and a light flashes in the distance. 

‘Oh shit,’ Seokjin hisses. 

‘Run,’ Jungkook grins, grabbing Seokjin’s hand once again. The flashlight grows closer as they dash for the gates, behind them, church bells start to toll. Jungkook meets Seokjin’s gaze and his face is shiny from the sweat, his eyes wide and knowing as if he suddenly understands something that had been troubling him for a while. The bells keep ringing as they climb into Jungkook’s car, tossing the shovels in the backseat as quickly as they can. 

Nobody chases them as they drive away, rejoicing at their successful endeavour. 

‘You were terrified,’ Seokjin chuckles. ‘I’ve never seen you so scared, not even when we met Yoongi!’

‘I wasn’t afraid,’ Jungkook pouts, eyes on the road. ‘I was worried for you, Hyung. You wouldn’t survive in prison, the book choices would be abysmal.’

‘I appreciate you looking out for me, Jungkook.’ 

‘Always, Hyung.’ 

Seokjin passes the library the next morning and quickly steps inside. He calls Yoongi’s name three times but the ghost never appears. He’s almost sad they didn’t get to say goodbye, but he’s hopeful that Yoongi is somewhere better, reunited with the man he’d loved so much when he was alive. Seokjin pauses to think for a second too, about Jungkook, about all of the things they’d done together, about how much he’d missed his presence after he’d dropped Seokjin home just last night. 

He knows now that Jungkook has feelings for him, he must have. 

‘He’s gone?’ comes Jungkook’s voice. Seokjin turns and smiles, stepping towards him. 

‘Yeah.’

‘I’ll miss him, I think.’

‘Me too, but I hope he’s with Jimin now.’

‘Oh, Hyung, speaking of! I forgot to tell you.’ Jungkook pulls out his phone and quickly unlocks it. ‘I found a picture of them online when we were researching.’

He holds the phone up to show Seokjin. It’s a slightly blurry black and white picture of two men. Yoongi looks different, less blue of course but smiling in a way he never had in the time they’d known him. He’s looking at a man with plush lips, hooded eyes and a warm smile. 

‘He looks happy,’ Seokjin says.

‘He does,’ nods Jungkook. ‘And Jimin never married, he became a children's doctor and fostered a number of kids in his fancy house and lived a long life.’

‘You found all that out?’

‘I did, I wanted to tell you but I didn’t know when,’ Jungkook mumbles, shrugging. A blush makes its way up his neck. ‘Hyung I wanna make it up to you.’

‘For what?’

‘For doing all this, for risking your job and the things you love to help me,’ Jungkook explains. ‘If you want me to leave you alone and never annoy you at lunch, I’ll do that! I’ll never bother you again!’

Seokjin rolls his eyes. ‘Why on earth would I want that?’ 

‘I was hoping you’d say you didn’t,’ Jungkook admits. 

‘I’ll tell you what,’ Seokjin starts, watching how Jungkook’s face lights up, his eyebrows lifting higher with each word, his body leaning forward until he’s on his tiptoes, waiting for Seokjin to finish speaking. ‘You can make it up to me by taking me on a real date, one not related to fire or death or ghosts.’ 

‘Really?!’ Jungkook cries, a smile so wide on his lips that Seokjin can’t bear how cute it is. ‘Hyung, wow, I’ve been wanting to ask but I was scared.’

‘Oh come on, we spent a few weeks hanging out with a ghost, we broke into a graveyard! How can you be scared of that?’ Seokjin giggles.

Jungkook shrugs. ‘I was scared you’d say no.’

‘Well I wouldn’t, not even before this whole thing. I think I always wanted to say yes.’ 

‘You know, I wasn’t really scared at the graveyard,’ Jungkook starts, stepping forwards. He places his hands on either side of Seokjin’s waist, the proximity makes Seokjin’s breath hitch in his throat. 

‘You weren’t?’ he manages to say.

Jungkook shakes his head. ‘You asked me if I’d heard the bells when I fell in love, you remember?’

‘Yeah?’

‘I did, in the graveyard. I looked at you and the bells were ringing and even though I already liked you, it was as if I suddenly just knew.’ 

Seokjin feels tears welling in his eyes. ‘Really?’

‘Yes, really. All this time we’ve known each other and the bells ring exactly then, I think it must be fate? Or maybe magic,’ Jungkook says, jutting out his lips in a pout. 

‘Maybe,’ Seokjin nods. ‘Maybe we just needed time.’

‘Ah, but think of all the dates we could have been going on! I could have already been kissing you!’ Jungkook whines, throwing his head back dramatically.

Seokjin chuckles at that. ‘We have plenty of time,’ he says.

‘Yoongi thought that too,’ Jungkook frowns. ‘When you got hurt I was so scared, I thought I’d never get to tell you I like you.’

‘You liked me even then? When I was mean to you all the time?’

Jungkook blushes even more, his ears going a bright red just like Seokjin’s. ‘You were never as mean as you thought, otherwise I wouldn’t have wanted to be around you so much. Hyung, I always thought you were cool. You care so much and you work so hard, you’re a wonderful teacher, you have an incredible reading speed which is pretty sexy in my opinion, and you always let me win at tennis.’

‘Maybe I’m just bad at tennis,’ Seokjin shrugs, a smirk playing on his lips. 

‘I think you just like me.’ 

Seokjin nods. He does, he likes Jungkook more than anyone he’s met before. In fact, Seokjin thinks he loves him. At the very least, the feeling blooms in his chest with every moment they spend in each other's company. 

Truthfully, he’d wanted things to go back to normal but now Seokjin realises he’s glad that they changed. It was scary at first, but now he gets to hold Jungkook and he’s sure that even the world ending couldn’t make that a difficult thing. He’s not sure he’s ever likely to let go, now that Jungkook is in his arms, now that Jungkook is his.