“Um,” gestures Jungkook with an air of embarrassment at the couple cuddled together on the convertible bed. “Are they allowed to do that, hyung?”

“Do what?” huffs Seokjin, irritated, as he rummages through the drawer for extra teabags, because for some reason Mr Kim of 16A just can’t make up his mind whether he wants sugar or not in his damn tea. Seokjin isn’t one to get angry easily, but this passenger’s really testing his limits. In a bad way.

Jungkook’s eyes widen at Seokjin’s tone, usually muted and gentle, and the elder feels a pang of regret at his tone. “Sorry,” he mutters. “Pesky client. Argh!”

The hot water, for some reason, decided to attack Seokjin’s hand instead of going obediently into the cup, and the flight attendant reels with pain at the resulting scald which he’s sure will leave a mark somewhere on the back of his hand. Jungkook sighs before leading the older man calmly to the tap, where he holds the burn under cold water for several minutes.

“There. Better?”

“Yeah, thanks,” grits Seokjin. Jungkook sighs before leaning his head on his hyung’s shoulder, reaching out a long arm around Seokin’s waist to pull him close. “Relax, hyung,” he murmurs. “It’s the last flight you’re doing this week, right?” Seokjin nods, calming down now that the burn is temporarily numb. His heart rate goes up, however, as Jungkook inches in even more, until their noses are practically touching, except Jungkook’s a little further up. Since when did he grow so tall? Seokjin still remembers the days when they were trainees, and he was the one to give the younger a lift home and treat him to takeaways and cheer him up. Seems like the roles are reversed, now- not that Seokjin doesn’t like it.

He has always treated the youngest of the crew as his younger brother, in a way, always looking out for him and never hesitating to lend him a helping hand whenever it’s needed. Some time later, however, the lines became slightly blurry when... Seokjin doesn’t exactly know when. Perhaps it was the time when it was Seokjin’s birthday and the crew gathered to give him a birthday party, except it was Jungkook who gave him a birthday kiss on his cheek. Or perhaps it was the time when it was Valentine’s day and Jungkook, for some reason, had managed to sneak in a huge bunch of flowers on flight and presented them to Seokjin with a smile and “to my favourite hyung”. Seokjin has always brushed off these thoughts as the maknae being overly innocent and well, just feeling affectionate, he guesses, but lately, the youngest of the crew has become even more daring; sneaking hugs on flight despite the strict rules and kissing Seokjin on the cheek whenever he thought the older was sleeping while off shift.

Not that Seokjin doesn’t like it, of course- but for gods sake he’s a 23 year old grown man and Jungkook’s not even 20; with dark glossy hair and a face that leaves him with countless hastily scribbled phone numbers on paper napkins and giggling girls. Jungkook likes to share with him what he calls “battle trophies”, before reassuring Seokjin not to worry because “hyung is still number one in my heart”. Seokjin would tell him to stop being so cheesy and concentrate on work, but a grin would always make its way to his carefully composed expression, whether he likes it or not. His heart would feel warm and his shoulders lighter, for some reason. But Seokjin never paid it any heed. For even if Jungkook does like him, for whatever reason- it’s probably just puppy love. It’s not going to last long, not at all. Some day sooner or later, Jungkook’s going to grow out of this phase and start trailing another person; someone that’s actually his age, his league and will be there for him whenever he needs- something Seokjin will never be able to do.

The thought saddens him, though, somehow-- and Seokjin finds  himself blushing when Jungkook presses his face even closer and lands the tiniest kiss on his cheek.

It makes him think of the night, when all the other trainees have left and it’s their first flight the next morning, 5 am sharp- and Jungkook had stayed behind with Seokjin, carefully running through the details and laying a soothing hand on the elder even though it’s technically Seokjin’s responsibility to take care of him.

At late evening, in the silence of the night, where only the pale moonlight’s present in the unblemished midnight blue- Jungkook had leaned in, intertwined his fingers with Seokjin’s, who was too shocked, too tired, too... perhaps Seokjin had wanted it as well, but he didn’t resist when Jungkook gently pulled him close and caressed his cheek.

“I think I love you, hyung.”

A kiss.

Sweet, silent, unblemished. It unleashes something in him. In both of them; Seokjin could see from underneath Jungkook’s dark eyelashes.

For Seokjin, it releases the fireworks in his heart. Everything burnt a little too brightly, that instant- his heart pounded a little too fast, his eyes fluttered close a little too quickly, the colors shone a little too blindingly- but Jungkook was the centre of it all, the silhouette of his pink lips and chiseled jaw the only thing Seokjin could think of as he walked, dazedly, or stumbled, more like, back to his little apartment, heart singing a song he later came to know as...

Love?

Perhaps Jungkook isn’t the only one having a phase, Seokjin guesses.

The repeated beeping of seat 16A stuns the pair of them from their embrace, and Seokjin lets out a low groan as Jungkook chuckles a small, musical laugh.

“Go,” he murmurs, brushing past Seokjin as he sees another uniformed attendant walking in. “I’ll be here waiting for you.” Another musical laugh. Seokjin’s heart splutters as he picks up the tea to deliver it to the goddamn Mr Kim.

---

As Seokjin walks out of the cabin and sees the two people curled up in seat 11D, blond hair pressed taut against brunet. He understands what Jungkook meant with his question. The sight makes his heart clench a little, however, and Seokjin feels a gush of jealousy about how they were able to find a love so innocent and uncomplicated, when he, a man in his twenties have yet to found that someone, save for stolen kisses in the dark with a promise not meant to be. He’s about to walk over, to gently explain how one seat’s only meant for one passenger when a hand stops him from getting any further.

“Hey. Is this my tea?”

Mr Kim. Of course.

“Your tea is ready, sorry that I’ve taken so long,” Seokjin says easily, a hint of a smile on his lips, though his insides curl in annoyance. Because thanks to your precious tea I got a damn burn. “Let’s get back to your seat, sir?”

“Oh, call me Namjoon,” Mr Kim says, before he saunters back to his seat. Seokjin sees Jungkook flashing a thumbs up and sighs before returning it with a weary smile of his own.

---

“Is this okay?” Seokjin tries to keep his expression carefully neutral, but as Mr Kim frowns again and makes a face, his temper rises and it takes all the willpower Seokjin has to keep it down.

“No... it... it doesn’t have enough sugar,” comes the reply.

“You said you wanted sugar for the first time then changed your mind to having sugarless tea and now you’re telling me you don’t think there’s enough sugar even though I ing burnt my hand trying to make you this tea?!?” inner Seokjin screams, but he’s a professional, so Seokjin merely bows and dips his head.

“I’m sorry the tea isn’t to your liking, Namjoon... perhaps you would like something else to drink?”

Namjoon seems to consider this option. There’s a glint in his eye that makes Seokjin feel slightly uneasy.

“Rather than a drink... I was wondering if you could help me with a service,” purrs Namjoon. Seokjin’s about to open his mouth to ask when the passenger continues on. “Seeing that lovely… image at 11D gave me an idea. I didn’t know that flight attendants doubled up as these days. You have a pretty face and nice lips and you smell good. Might as well put them to use, I mean. So what do you say. Sleep with me?”

The suggestive tone of his voice and the thinly veiled insults sting Seokjin, a thousand times more than that stupid burn. His blood pressure rises rapidly and he struggles to keep calm. Just as he’s about to explain the situation, however, there’s a black haired ball of energy rushing forward, and before he knows it, there’s Jungkook, eyes glowering with anger and face flushed in fury.

“You. Did. Not. Just. Say. That.” growls Jungkook, pushing Seokjin behind him and fists by his side. Seokjin feels a gush of affection at the over protective youngster and he struggles not to let out a long breath he doesn’t know he has been holding. (though Namjoon’s really behaving like a brat, he admits). “Hey, Jungkookie,” he tries softly, using his co-worker’s nickname in an attempt to calm him down. “Hey, it’s alright, there’s just a misunderstanding-”

“What do you mean it’s alright,” and Jungkook’s onto him, those dark eyes are turned to him and Seokjin finds himself at a total loss of words, mouth gaping at the onslaught of words. “He was clearly disrespecting you and us, the crew, and you say it’s alright?”

And in the middle of the plane, with all the passengers awake to witness this event, a few curious onlookers even daring to inch forward to see what all this commotion is about-- Jungkook kisses Seokjin full on the lips, eyes defiant and expression grim but determined.

Seokjin shuts up all right, and thankfully, so does Namjoon, who seems to get the hint. Seokjin practically runs back to the cloakroom, pulling Jungkook with him, in embarrassment- but he hears clapping and, slowly, cheers building up from the passengers of the plane.

But at the back of the cloakroom, even as Jungkook’s apologising profusely about how he didn’t know what he was thinking, doing all that in public, even as the other flight attendants leave the cloakroom with smirks directed towards them- his hands are warm, and they’re tangled with Seokjin’s, and his eyes shine brighter than any star in the dark, dark sky, 34000 feet above the ground, and Seokjin’s heartbeat’s definitely faster than 487 miles per hour as he gives into his instincts and grabs the back of Jungkook’s hair before giving him a bruising kiss, which turned to two, which turned to a couple more until both are panting slightly, lips flushed and red with color.

“So... Seokjin hyung... I take it that you aren’t angry anymore...?” whispers Jungkook, an arm finding its way across Seokjin’s waist.

“You little brat,” mutters Seokjin, but he says, even softer, a line that makes his favourite smile appear on Jungkook’s face, so brightly Seokjin’s eyes hurt. A line spoken so many months ago, on the deserted street under the unblemished midnight blue. A line never forgotten, a line that is so powerful Seokjin trembles as he says it and he feels Jungkook shaking ever so slightly beside him as he finally utters them; the words he has been hiding for so long.

Perhaps the passengers of 11D aren’t the only ones who found love tonight.

“I think I love you, too.”