Chapter Text
Soft sand trickled between Jungkook’s fingers and into one of a trillion other piles of identical grains.
It was pretty. Yellow and white and a little gray- but it was too dark to appreciate properly. A few times, Jungkook had come across pink sand. Even fewer times, he had come across a river.
But rivers were only good in theory. Sometimes they were the only thing Jungkook could dream about on days like this. Rivers were where the water was, but they were also where the people were. And people didn't like Jungkook.
He was too young. He had never seen the world as it was supposed to be and he had not grown like they had. He didn't have the height or the muscle or knowledge of the world. He could barely read or talk- and only Korean, so most people didn't understand him anyway. He was just some wild creature, eating their rations and dirtying their sleeping mats.
He wouldn't take himself in either. He wasn't worth it.
But that was okay. Jungkook had the sand, and the sand was a soft thing to lay on. There were no creatures in it to bite him and there was no rain to drown him. The rain had stopped here long before Jungkook was born.
In the morning, the sun would rise, and Jungkook would have no shelter. He would burn maybe. Become like the coal bodies he never dared to bury. But that was okay. He wouldn't be there to feel it.
It was okay. Everything was okay.
Jungkook sang to himself. He just wanted to sing one more time, even if it hurt more than it used to. He wanted to fall asleep to a human voice.
He closed his eyes, listening to some half-forgotten ancient lullaby, scarred by time and thirst, as his thoughts gradually went blank and the sound of motors came closer.
-
"He should be awake, judging by brain waves."
Jungkook was dead.
There was light behind his eyelids, but it was not the sun. It was cool and hard and cold. Jungkook was not burning- but that was likely because he didn't have a body. Where he had had arms, there was now nothing, and the same went for his legs and his stomach and his head.
No. Jungkook was just a soul, probably, if such a thing existed. That was okay. It was time. Jungkook had wandered the desert for much too long.
"Hey," Something warm laid against Jungkook’s arm. Or well, the spiritual interpretation of it. Because there was something on it- but the main feeling was gone. There was no kick, just pressure. Maybe this was a ghost. Another spirit, here to take him home.
Jungkook opened his eyes.
A face. There was a face. Big eyes and plush lips. Striking white hair and black eyes. They had a slight purple tint to them. As if their blood was blue or their tan was from the ocean instead of the sun. They were slightly distracted, fiddling with some kind of clear bag hanging on the wall, looking down at Jungkook with a small smile.
They looked human. So human, but they weren’t. Their smile was pretty, but in a somewhat off-putting way. Though Jungkook could not quite remember what humans were supposed to look like, it was not this. Maybe the eyes were a little too big or set too far apart- oh. Arms. There was an extra set of arms, one fixing the bag and one fixing Jungkook’s pillow. Four arms.
Humans were not supposed to have four arms. Even in the afterlife. Jungkook was at least fifty percent sure.
"Hello, sweetie," They said gently. Their voice was a bit on the lighter end, soft and pretty. It went through Jungkook’s body like cold water. Fuck, when was the last time someone talked to him? It felt like forever. "I'm your doctor, Jieun. What's your name?"
Jungkook swallowed. Fuck, he couldn't feel his throat either. This wasn't what he thought death would be like. It was so strange having his mind but not his body. It was hard to think about anything else.
"I'm-" A cough forced its way out of his throat. Fuck. His voice was probably ruined from unuse and sand- though he didn't feel thirsty. That was good. Maybe one of the best parts about being dead. It made it so much easier to concentrate.
"Oh, sorry, let me," Jieun leaned to the side, letting her arm, one of the ones sticking more out from her back, reach for a large cylinder. She used another hand to push something on the side, and suddenly the top popped off and it was being pressed against Jungkook’s lips.
Sweet, thick liquid poured down Jungkook’s throat. It wasn't water- not quite, but it was the closest thing Jungkook had had in days and it was a lot. Jungkook swallowed three, four times, before it was taken away. It filled his stomach like lead- though it didn't ease any grumbling. Since Jungkook didn't really have a stomach anymore. There was nothing to ease. It was a strange feeling. Very strange. He didn’t miss it though.
When the bottle was empty and taken away and Jungkook tried to speak again, his voice worked. "Jungkook." It sounded like it had before- before everything- maybe a bit lower pitched, a bit foreign, but it was smooth and soft. His name flowed into the air like a gentle breeze- and Jieun smiled.
"Hi, Jungkook-ah. Feeling okay?"
Jungkook shrugged, but nothing happened. Just that weird feeling of pressure, with no kick- but Jieun seemed to have seen the motion anyway. Maybe she was some kind of spirit guide. Or maybe they were two fated ones that were finally going to be together in the afterlife. Jungkook hoped so. He really didn’t want to be alone again. Not forever at least.
"Well, you've just finished your drip," She tapped the bag on the wall, smiling, and then he reached down, picking up Jungkook’s non-arm and fiddling with it, removing something. "I'll go get your guardians. Wait here for a moment."
Oh... so they were crossing over already. Jungkook had kind of hoped he could stay in this place a little longer- but it was alright. He understood. He had places to be probably, and Jieun did too.
Jungkook was alone for only a few minutes, looking around the mostly empty room and gently trying to open and close his fists. He could. It was as if he didn't have any joints or muscles- just... being. And well, as his brain slowly turned fully on, and he started recognizing himself for what he was- he was starting to wonder if he might not quite be dead. Maybe these people weren't spirits, like his mom had told him about... maybe they were something more like... no. Fuck.
The door opened again, soundless and touchless, sliding to the side and revealing another one of the creatures. Four arms, purple tinted skin, big, black eyes. But this one was... handsome. Maybe Jungkook had just been alone for too long... but his lips were plush and his shoulders were broad and as he stepped closer he practically hid the entire room from Jungkook’s view. And he, well, he smelled good. Really good, even from so far away.
"Hello, Jungkook-ah," He spoke, and Jungkook had almost not expected him to speak Korean, despite the doctor doing so. And had it just been Korean, something he could learn from a book, maybe it hadn't been so surprising, but this was Jungkook’s Korean. This man sounded like he came straight off the beaches of Busan. "My name is Kim Seokjin,"
Jungkook tried to sit up, he had to greet this man properly- but Seokjin did not like that. Jungkook didn’t even get as far as sitting before Seokjin was moving at a speed humans decidedly could not (though humans didn’t have so many arms either, so maybe Jungkook wasn’t hallucinating. Maybe.), moving across the room, pushing Jungkook’s shoulders back against the pillows and climbing over the covers.
As thin as his blanket was, it did a great job holding Jungkook down when it was pressed down by Seokjin’s knees on each side of his torso. Long, slim fingers buried themselves in Jungkook’s hair, sending violent shivers down Jungkook’s spine and forcing his head back into a rested position. He didn’t even try to fight. Hell, he didn’t realize it was an option before the attack was over- and now he was here. There was nowhere to move and he was too tired anyway.
Jungkook had stopped fighting long ago. Why would he start now? Now that literally nothing mattered anymore?
Jungkook was dead. Dead and gone. It was over.
"Don’t sit up, sweetie," His voice was deeper so close. How could such a big man even bend like that? His face was mere inches from Jungkook’s, and his knees were tightly against his sides, forcing him into a harsh curve.
And well, Jungkook couldn't breathe. Fuck. Everything was over but he still had a pretty man on his chest. Sharp tears burned behind Jungkook’s eyes but there was no point in crying. Or maybe no point in holding it back. He wouldn’t need the water when he died again from whatever this man was doing with his face so close to Jungkook’s mouth- fresh air. Clean, warm, probably pure oxygen. It was coming out of Seokjin’s mouth. Seokjin was breathing into Jungkook’s mouth- making it somehow easier to think.
"Your heart is out of normal frequency for relaxation."
Jungkook closed his eyes. Fuck. Fuck. He was dead or he was going to die. Fuck. Maybe Seokjin would eat him. Jungkook didn't want to be eaten. At least not while he was still there to witness it-
Jungkook was in the air.
He screamed. He couldn't help it. There were two sets of arms around him and they were holding him tightly against a firm, huge chest, pushing his face down against soft fabric- and then there were two fingers in his mouth.
They tasted weirdly sweet, rather than salty like Jungkook’s did. And they were big. Just two of them filled Jungkook’s mouth completely, pressing his tongue still and his lips to their widest stretch without discomfort. And then it hit. Like having a full, warm meal, or being gently caressed under heavy blankets- sleep crashed over Jungkook’s body before it even hit his brain and he felt himself fall limp into Seokjin’s gentle grip.
Fuck. Seokjin smelled good. Too good to be dead.
-
Namjoon was still doing paperwork when Seokjin came home with their baby.
It was a quiet morning, the sun was still rising and Namjoon had been alone for hours. He understood that it would be less overwhelming to only meet one guardian at the time, of course, but it felt strange. He didn't like to be unknowing. He didn't like to leave these things up to anyone else- even Seokjin, who was the most caring and intelligent Romveese on all of Aneet.
But now they were home.
Namjoon stood out of his chair, dusting imaginary dirt off his pants, and walked out to the doorway. He stopped for a moment to glance at the nest- just as perfect as Seokjin had left it this morning, perfectly balanced in soft oranges, deep reds, and pretty purples, made of the fluffiest blankets and the softest pillows, protected by the cushioned edges and its position as a pit in the floor. Namjoon would be able to sit on the edge, looking over all the room and making sure his mate and their baby would be safe. Besides, he had bought the most secure of lids for it, so should anything happen, he could always just keep the box locked until it was safe again.
This was good. They would be taken care of until Jungkook, as Seokjin had messaged the human was named, was self-sufficient enough to be left alone. Not that Namjoon expected it, of course, not all little ones were meant to leave the nest and Namjoon had seen Jungkook’s measurements. Not only was the little one a weaker species, but he was also likely fully grown- not to mention, he had likely lived a life of traumatic events upon traumatic events and Namjoon would rather prefer if he allowed himself dependence when healing from it. Or maybe forever.
Seokjin was standing in the hallway, taking off his shoes, and there, in his arms, was a tiny body, fast asleep and pressed as close as possible. He was... adorable. Small and pretty, with his pink lips pressed into a deep pout and his tiny fingers curled desperately into Seokjin’s shirt. He looked like a Little One through and through, just like they had predicted (Though his skin was unusually red and he was missing his secondary arms, but they had known about that before his arrival so Namjoon wasn’t worried about it). He was perfect- and it seemed the oils did work, as Namjoon had hoped.
The little glands on their palms were of course there to help children relax, so the dosage wasn't big enough to do much to a fully grown Romveese, but humans were smaller and relied on similar hormones to fall asleep. It hadn't been sure- but they had been pretty sure.
Though, as much as Namjoon had theorized on this point when deciding whether to rescue humans, now that he had his little one in his home, only a few doors away from the nest, it wasn’t intellectual glee in his heart. Namjoon felt… relief. They would help their baby sleep in a natural and comfortable way. Jungkook would be taken care of- their bodies made sure of it.
And it was strange really. No one had been able to believe the incredible compatibility of humans and Romveese when it was first discovered, but there was no way around it. Humans were small and fragile, but they fit so perfectly into Romveese arms. They lived on oxygen, which Romveese expelled from their breath and pores, and their body warmth laid just a few degrees below. They slept from palm-oil and they ate almost all similar foods.
Namjoon wholeheartedly believed he would be able to take care of this human- especially now that he could finally hold him within his eyes- and he believed that this would be good for all of Aneet. Humans were dying and they would live happily here- and Romveese would find themselves happier with such wonderful creatures as this in their homes.
Namjoon just had to convince the world that humans deserved their care- however, he had certain things to do first.
He stepped closer, taking a first picture of the darling face where it was pressed against his mate's chest, and leaning close for a whiff of that soft, milky scent.
Perfect compatibility. Perfect baby.