Taehyung's shirt may have been white and wrinkle-free, it certainly wasn't odourless and insisted on clinging to his chest thanks to the permanent humidity in the air. The camp had a shower-like system that had been set up to collect rain water and allow the men to stay somewhat clean, but by the time it was his turn to wash up, the cistern would always be empty.

Eyeing the tent under which Professor Kim was presently working, he figured he had gathered enough samples to keep his boss busy for the next few hours and decided to spend the forenoon looking for a place to bathe. Packing a fresh set of clothes and a bar of soap, he greeted the man with his most dazzling smile. "With your permission, professor, I'll be taking the morning off."

Namjoon glanced at the young man's tousled hair and beard growth on his chin.

"I need to wash up," Taehyung confessed shyly.

That's all it took for the man to send him on his way. "Why don't you take the day off? I have plenty work to get done by the time you return."

This was more than Taehyung had hoped for and he gladly agreed to it. Heading into the forest, our brave explorer embarked on a quest to locate a water source suitable for bathing, relying solely on his knowledge of plant life and its need to remain hydrated.

After what felt like hours of roaming around the matted jungle, Taehyung's ears perked up at the distinct sound of a running stream nearby. Following the silvery notes of the playful river upstream, he finally reached the shores of multiple overflowing ponds softly glimmering under the midday sun. A short ways up, the young man spotted several waterfalls which supplied the pools with their crystalline turquoise water.

The idyllic setting was nothing short of inviting and Taehyung threw all caution to the wind as he hurriedly undressed, proceeding to wash his garment first in order to allow it to dry while he enjoyed the ponds to himself. Pulling a razor out his satchel, he carefully shaved his facial hair before fully immersing himself in the shallow lagoon. The fresh water on his warm skin provided a pleasantly nippy sensation. Taehyung sighed contently, closing his eyes and letting his body drift toward the deeper end of the natural pool.

As the five senses would have it, shutting one off usually heightened the other four. Relying on his hearing to survey his surroundings, the bather soon perceived movement, both in the waters nearby and in the treetops above. Opening his eyes, he immediately noticed a suspicious log that most certainly had not been there when he'd entered the pond.

"Where did that come from?" he wondered. The fact that the drifting piece of wood was presently moving upstream did make him a little nervous.

This was no log.

And Taehyung was out of his depth.

Turning around, he started swimming sidestroke, keeping an eye on the aquatic predator on his tail which had, unsurprisingly, also picked up speed. Humans could not compete against water-dwelling reptiles such as the one chasing him at the moment, and the zoologist knew his attempt to escape it was futile. But that thing called survival instinct had him try anyway.

Focusing on the shore, Taehyung barely noticed the ruffle in the branches nearby which had him do something he'd never done since first entering the jungle: take his eyes off the ground and look up into the wreathed foliage.

That's when he saw him: a human figure of olive complexion wearing nothing but a loincloth, standing on top of a sturdy limb, staring straight back at him with concern etched over his otherwise gentle features.

The blindsiding vision almost cost Taehyung as life as he forgot to swim and, consequently, nearly drowned, were it not for the strong arm that swiftly pulled him out of the water and into the air until he found himself perched on a thick bough high above the ground.

Coughing up the water that had filled his larynx, Taehyung felt overwhelmed by emotions ranging from relief that he was still breathing to weakness for being unable to get his bearings. He tried opening one eye and almost fell off the tree because of the dizzy spell he suddenly experienced. Caring hands held him in place and Taehyung was reminded of the fact he was A) not alone and B) very much naked in front a stranger who, come to think of it, was quite underdressed himself. Indecently so, if truth be told. But the young zoologist was not about to let this preoccupying truth get in the way of the immense gratitude he felt toward his rescuer.

A quick peek at the ponds below confirmed the presence of a now angered alligator that probably had no clue how its meal had suddenly vanished.

"Thank you," Taehyung uttered, feeling highly insecure under the intense gaze he could almost sense caressing his bare skin. "But could you please stop staring? I'm kinda n-naked," he added, trying to cover himself up a bit with his hands — a rather pointless endeavour, really, given the fact the other has already seen everything there was to see.

"Naked?" asked the dark-haired boy, eyes round and gleaming with something Taehyung could only describe as curiosity while simultaneously noticing the melodious voice.

"Yes. Naked."

Upon hearing the other repeat the word one more time, Taehyung promptly corrected him. "No, wait. My name's not naked. It's Taehyung. Tae-hyung."

"Tae-hyung?"

"Just call me Tae. Okay?"

"Okay?"

Communicating with his saviour was proving to be a challenge but Taehyung was not one to give up easily. Moreover, the other's eagerness to get it right was all the motivation he needed. "No, just Tae," he repeated graciously.

"Tae."

"What about you?" Taehyung asked, one finger raised toward the boy's bare chest which he tried not to ogle.

The other lifted his own hand and tapped his ribcage. "Jungkook."

"Jungkook. It's nice to meet you." Taehyung had, understandably, never introduced himself au naturel before and wasn't sure where to go from there. Not that the view wasn't pleasant. On the contrary. The rays of sunlight flowing through the canopy above made everything glow, including Jungkook who bathed in the soft light of the dimming afternoon, stare gently resting upon Taehyung's own features.

A sudden gust of wind had the young man shiver, causing goosebumps to cover his — still very much — exposed body. Jungkook's smile fell, replaced by a worried look. Taehyung wrapped his arms around his torso. "It's really nice and cosy up here, but a bit draughty, don't you think?"

Jungkook shifted a little closer but remained silent, eyes fixed on the prickly skin.

"And you're still staring," Taehyung murmured to himself. "Don't tell me you've never seen a naked guy before."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Taehyung realized he most likely hadn't. Holding out his hand, he simply smiled. Jungkook slowly reached forward to touch it, gasping at the unexpected coolness while Taehyung caught himself basking in his warmth.

The presence of Jungkook in the middle of the jungle raised so many questions Taehyung had no idea where to begin. Well, actually, he could start by addressing his lingering nudity. "Would you mind, huh ..., bringing me down?" Taehyung asked, indicating the ground below.

Jungkook must have understood for he carefully swept the area for potential threats before grabbing a thick vine and gesturing for Taehyung to hold onto to him. The zoologist slowly got up from his precarious sitting position and tentatively wrapped both arms around Jungkook's neck. "Like this?"

"Like this," Jungkook repeated docilely as he pressed a firm hand on Taehyung's slender waist, eliciting a silent gasp from the man who could decidedly not get over the heat emanating from Jungkook's body.

The shriek that followed the jump off the branch had, conversely, been anything but silent, and Taehyung realized a bit late that he had just entrusted his life to someone he'd only met moments ago. He squeezed his eyes shut and tighten his grasp, which caused Jungkook to choke a little. Thankfully, they landed shortly after.

Walking on solid ground proved incomprehensibly difficult, and Taehyung lost his footing, tumbling onto the leaf-covered soil. Jungkook was by his side in no time, eyes filled with renewed concern.

"I'm fine. Don't worry. Just a bit land sick, I guess." Taehyung had tried to sound reassuring but hadn't expected the soft strokes on his back, making him wish he'd melt into Jungkook's seemingly infinite caringness already. "Why are you so kind to me?" he wondered out loud.

Ever so gently, Jungkook brought his hands up to Taehyung's awestruck face, cupping it. The young man watched as Jungkook's piercing gaze studied him through his lengthy black locks. "Tae so kind."

These three small words were enough to make Taehyung's heart beat slightly faster.

—

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