MILKY WAY TIME: 1 YEAR 3 MONTHS SINCE NAMJOON AND SEHUN WENT MISSING

SEHUN'S TIME: 12 HOURS SINCE HE WENT MISSING

Jungkook isn't sure he knows the last time he's slept eight hours. Hell, he isn't sure he knows the last time he's slept six. Despite that, he kisses Taehyung's shoulder, rolling out of bed and getting to his feet. 4 a.m. in Earth time. It's still lights out on the Tokyo, but Jungkook doesn't care.

His husband is peacefully asleep. Oddly surprising; normally Tae is the one who's waking up in the middle of the night. Maybe it's because Jungkook's the one who didn't move on. Tae did. Jungkook admires his husband for that, but there's a certain attachment he has to Sehun and Namjoon. Of course Tae feels the same, but he firmly believes they went somewhere to start a new life together. Jungkook prays that's the answer, but Jimin has been going insane with theories recently. Even more so than the first few days after Namjoon left. His mental state is starting to become concerning.

Jungkook saunters over to the kitchen, sneaking a midnight snack. Well, by snack he means drink. Banana milk. He sips from it, staring at the counter. He dabs the corners of his lips with his thumb, using his other hand to place the cup in the sink. His hands press into the counter, his eyes falling on the family photo they have. They have a pretty large family. Five children: four boys, one girl. Sehun is their second oldest, Jung-hyun being the oldest.

His eyes linger on Sehun's smiling face. Did he screw up? Did Jungkook screw up enough as a father to drive him away? Before he can process his thoughts, there's a chime coming from his wrist comm. The thing is lying on the counter, Jungkook grabbing it and answering in a hushed tone. "Executive Jeon speaking, what's the emergency?"

"I didn't wake you, did I?" Jimin's meek voice asks.

"No sir, everything okay?"

There's silence for a few dreadful seconds. "Can we meet?" Jungkook nods despite him not meaning to. Jimin and him have been shipping together so long, Jimin takes the two beats of quiet as a yes. "I'm in the dining hall. No one's here this late, not even the chefs."

Jungkook shuts the comm off, strapping it around his wrist and getting changed before heading out. The walk to the dining hall is rather uneventful. No one's around this time of night. Why would they be? There's no point of being awake unless you're a higher-up. Speaking of higher-ups, Jungkook finds himself bumping into none other than Jung Hoseok and Anya Kim, the two staying side-by-side. Jungkook's a little amazed to see the two together, especially considering Sapphire is the main medic with Hoseok as her assistant, but they're still a sight for sore eyes.

"Hey Kook," Anya greets.

Jungkook dips his head in greeting. "Hey Ani, Hobi. I'm about to visit our Captain. Any messages for him?" They shake their heads. "Alright, I'd hate to keep him waiting. Get to bed, yeah? It's late."

"Morning strolls were always my favorite," Anya says, a mix of amusement and sorrow in her tone. Jungkook knows why. As does Hoseok, Jin, Yoongi, Seulgi, everyone. They all know what's going on with their Captain and Executive. For a split second, Jungkook feels like it's the Ganymede War all over again, him facing down a Goliath with red enhancements shining. He feels like he's back in his original home, the Moonchild, commanding Hoseok and Anya to go complete a task.

He wonders where the time went.

"Me too, but I'm giving you an order to get some rest, okay?" They agree, bowing their heads and disappearing from sight. Faint chatter of their conversation flies past Jungkook's ears. If this were about twenty-five years ago, Jungkook would be able to hear every word. But he can't anymore. He's not sure how he feels about that.

Jungkook enters the dining hall, shutting the door behind him. Jimin's sitting alone in the corner of the room, his head tilted to stare out the window. Jimin doesn't notice Jungkook. Well, he probably heard the door, but he doesn't bother glancing at him. Jungkook's brows furrow, but he saves his questions until he sits down.

When he plops down in front of Jimin, the man still doesn't turn his eyes to look at him. "Jimin?" Jungkook asks, folding his fingers together on the table. "Want to tell me why you're awake at 4 a.m., sitting alone in the dining hall?" He motions to the emptiness. "Not cryptic at all, Capt'. Very smo-"

"I had a nightmare about her."

Jungkook goes still, leaning back on the chair. He doesn't need to ask who her is. No one in the Moonchild crew does, not even Aurora, who joined after the wars. "What about her?"

"I was chipped again, but Namjoon was there this time, not Y/n. I was forced to do and say things to him that weren't me. And our last conversation before he left... I don't know why, but it felt like that. It felt like I wasn't who I wanted to be. Who I truly am."

"And who are you?" Jungkook asks.

"An optimist," Jimin whispers. "I told him that when enough bad shit happens, even optimists lose that light." Jungkook didn't notice Jimin had been drinking until he raises a glass to his lips, sipping from it. "The worst part of it isn't that I lost him. Hell, it's not even that our last interaction was a fight. It's that I could never see my son again. He could be dead, and I'd have no idea. He could plan to never come back. I could be waiting until the day I die with a pitiful hope that my baby boy will come back to me."

"So what are you going to do?"

Jimin takes another sip, playing with the liquid in his mouth before swallowing. The glass clinks against the table, echoing in the lonely room. "I'm gonna wait and hope."

Jungkook would be lying if he said the answer didn't surprise him. "Why?" he asks. Jimin glances out the window, the light of stars from a thousand worlds highlighting his pale face, the bags under his eyes showing more than usual. When he turns back, Jungkook's amazed to see a genuine smile resting on Jimin's lips.

"Because that's what optimists do."

~~~

After leaving Jimin, Jungkook got no sleep that night. Tae woke up a few hours after he returned, interrogating him about the mental state of their friend. Jungkook couldn't answer a single question his husband asked. Now Jungkook's standing in the kitchen, gazing at the photo of their family. Next to it is a picture of the Park's Jungkook put up after his conversation with Jimin. His eyes linger over Namjoon's smiling face, his heart panging with it.

"He really does look just like him," Jungkook whispers.

Tae, who's cooking behind him, perks his head up at that. "Namjoon?" Jungkook nods. "Yeah, it's a little uncanny to be honest, especially considering Jimin and Y/n look nothing like Namjoon. Wonder where he got it from." Jungkook knows, but he also knows that he'll sound like a lunatic if he says it out loud. So, he shuts his mouth.

"You seem distracted," Tae adds, keeping his head on the pan in front of him. Jungkook turns away from the picture, staring at his husband's back.

"So do you. Wanna explain why you're not talking to me about this?"

"About what?"

"Any of it."

Tae turns off the electric stove, facing his husband. Still so beautiful, even after all these years. The butterflies reside in Jungkook's stomach, bouncing around and making his heart pump faster. "It's been over a year. I miss my son, but I have four other kids that need me to take care of them. I moved on. I'll never forget Sehun, and I hope he comes back, but we both know that out of all the kids in the Park and Jeon family, those two were the most likely to run away and start their own life. Look what happened. Not saying we can't be sad about it, but we have other people in our lives too."

Jungkook agrees, stepping over and leaning against the counter next to him. Tae can read his idea just by looking into his eyes. "I'll be quick," Jungkook murmurs.

"Are you insane? You're going to do this now? After a year? Not without me, fuck no you aren't."

"Tae, you just said we have four other kids that need to be taken care of." Jungkook grabs his hologlobe from the corner of the counter, pulling up a demo him and Tae have. "We still have a song to finish. You know I'll come back soon so we can, but I can't sit around anymore. I need to go out and try to find them. It'll take me about three days to get to the outer rim, I'll start searching on Triton, that's where they probably went."

"And if they didn't?"

"I'll search anywhere, I'll keep searching until I at least get closure. I need to know if they're okay," Jungkook insists.

"Is this you or Jimin talking? Koo, you know I'll always be there for you, and I'd love to know if Sehun is okay, but if you're doing this because Jimin ordered you to-"

"He had a nightmare about Chaeyoung." Tae shuts his mouth, his face falling. "Except instead of hurting his wife, he hurt his son." Jungkook pauses, running a hand through his thick, dark locks. "He's my best friend. I'm sitting here when I could be out there searching for our sons. What if something bad really did happen to them? What if they're waiting for their fathers to come and rescue them? What kind of monsters would we be if we didn't even try?"

Taehyung stays still. Then, he walks away. Jungkook turns toward the pictures again, letting his husband go. His eyes wander across the faces of each of his children, pondering if they'd be okay without him for over a month, maybe even half a year. Jungkook doesn't know how long he'll be. It terrifies him deep down, but he knows it's what must be done.

A bag plops itself down next to him, Jungkook shifting his weight to see Tae there. "If you're gonna go, you at least need to have survival gear. There's some snacks inside, put them in the preservatives so they last a while and don't drink all the banana milk all at once." Tae unzips one pocket, showing off the weapons inside. "Tactical knives, a pocket knife, a pistol, a shotgun, and an assault rifle."

"Babe, you're giving me a boner."

Tae nudges him, zipping it up again and pointing to another pocket. "That has a shit ton of ammo inside. Utility belt so you can keep your tools in one place. I hope you remember your intelligence officer days, they'll come in handy here. Maybe ask Jimin for a brush-up on engineering in case you run into any trouble out there."

Jungkook chuckles. "No need. You think Jimin will let me go alone?"

"You're making me stay."

"Jimin's Jimin, he'll promote Seulgi to acting Commander and Hoseok to acting Executive. He's not gonna let me go out to find our sons alone."

"What about Y/n?" Tae asks.

"She'll be devastated. Her two favorite boys leaving for well over a month, probably more than two." Jungkook stops when he sees the terror in Tae's eyes. The flashbacks. The enhancements. "Hey," Jungkook softly says, placing a hand on Tae's cheek. "This is nothing like that, okay? Wherever I go, I bring you with me, yeah?" The cool material of his wedding ring rubs over Tae's skin, his eyes slightly relaxing. Slightly.

"Wherever you go, I'll come with, whether it be mentally or physically," he agrees.

"I love you, Kim Taehyung."

He halts upon hearing the old name, Jungkook softly smiling. "Jeon Taehyung," Tae corrects with a smile, their lips pressing together for a beat. "I love you too, Jeon Jungkook." Jungkook grips the bag, throwing it over his shoulders and sauntering over to the door. "Kook." Jungkook peeks over his shoulder at Taehyung, the man staring at Jungkook with admiration.

"Good luck."

~~~

Who the fuck names a ship Astray?

Jungkook gazes at the warship, wondering what type of weapons are stashed inside. Jimin approaches, a bag on his shoulders as well. "I know it doesn't look like much, but I designed her myself," Jimin says.

"Oh God we're screwed." His commanding office sharply nudges him, Jungkook chuckling from the action. "May I ask why you named her Astray?"

"Astray means to be off-course, on the wrong path, y'know? Figured if I ever ended up in her, we'd be in a different kind of war. Thought it might be symbolic. She has state-of-the-art weaponry, high-power shields, and big ass bathrooms."

"Is it possible for you to say the word ass without adding big in front of it?"

Jimin points to his ass. "Kind of hard when you have-"

"Alright Captain, calm yourself," Seulgi's voice calls.

Jungkook and Jimin turn in time to see the entire crew behind them, all waiting to send them off. Jungkook's heart melts seeing the familiar faces. This is the first time they'll be separated for a long period of time in a while. Maybe even over twenty years. Ever since the Earth Mars feud where Jimin was chipped and everyone was scrambling around. Now Jimin and Jungkook, their two commanding officers, won't be here for months. Jungkook finds himself tearing up at the prospect. He didn't expect leaving his crew would be this emotional.

Tae hugs his husband, moving to Jimin right after. "Take care of him, yeah?" Tae asks.

"Only if you take care of my dogs," Jimin replies, patting the man on the shoulder. He falls back with the others, them offering the boys waves.

"Don't be dumb!" Sapphire says.

Jungkook scans over them again. Baekhyun, Seulgi, Anya, Sapphire, Aurora, Jin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Tae, Y/n. His family. The ones he loves most. Y/n's crying, but that's expected. She's always been emotional when it comes to losing her boys. She's lost them many times before, he can only imagine what's going through her mind right now.

She rushes up to Jimin, the two hugging tightly. He kisses the top of her head, stroking her locks. "You better come back to me Park Jimin," she urges, tugging on the front of his cloak.

"You know I can't go more than a week without sex, I'll come running back soon enough, my love," he replies.

"Seriously?"

"Jimin, it's been over twenty years, chill!"

"I hate my life."

"Jimin, shut up!

Jungkook chuckles at the chorus of groans, Jimin smiling brightly. For a moment, just a moment, Jimin looks truly happy. He looks truly happy for the first time in over a year. Jimin leans down and attaches his lips to his wife's, Jungkook averting his eyes in time to see the crew getting emotional. There's a fear in the air no one will say.

'What if it's the Ring?'

It's the question no one wants to ask, but everyone's thinking. Even Jungkook's thinking it. He forces the thoughts away in time for Yoongi to shake his head. "Come on Muffin, the faster they go, the faster they come back," Yoongi says. Y/n obeys, pecking Jimin's lips once more before giving his hand a squeeze and joining Yoongi's side. Seulgi wraps an arm around her, Jimin and Jungkook sharing a determined stare.

"We'll come back in one piece assuming Jimin's flight classes have paid off," Jungkook says.

Jimin shoots him a sour glance, Jungkook mostly ignoring it albeit snickering at his Captain's fun nature. Gosh, he missed this as much as that pains him to admit. He missed the adventure. "Seulgi, you're in charge. Hoseok, you're second-in-command. Don't use it as an excuse to get head in the public bathrooms like I did. Those were the dark days," Jimin says.

"Leave," Anya sharply says, Aurora nodding in agreement.

"No wait, please do elaborate," Hoseok tries, but the others are quick to pull him back.

"Anya?" Jin asks. The woman nods. "Why are we friends with them?"

"I've been asking that question for over twenty years," Jimin says with a chuckle, gazing over his friends with pride. "But I wouldn't have it any other way." Jimin offers them a salute, the crew returning it. Jungkook laughs and follows their movements, revealing his bunny smile.

"Bun?" Y/n asks. Jungkook nods to her, the two locking eyes. She smiles. "You're the order I need."

On instinct, he traces his fingers across the bracelet tied around his wrist, her doing the same with hers. "And you're the chaos I desire," he whispers.

Yoongi flickers his eyes between them. "Did I just witness a fucking cult ritual?"

"Why are you questioning Jungkook and Y/n of all people?" Sapphire asks her husband. He merely shrugs in response, Jungkook stepping up the ramp. Jimin does the same, placing his hand over the button.

"I love you," Jimin says to his wife.

She breaks out into a grin, waving. "I love you too, Mochi!"

They say their final goodbyes, Jimin shutting the door. As soon as they're out of sight, Jungkook places his hand on the metal door. The urge to see them again already hits, but he knows that he can't. They said their goodbyes to their children earlier, and now their crew too. Jungkook didn't consider what it would feel like to be apart from his crew. It's like his heart is gone without them here. Jimin seems to sense it too, seeing as neither of them speak for a full minute.

Jimin clears his throat. "Come on, they're probably wondering why we haven't taken off yet." Jungkook agrees, the two striding through the large warship. "My wife helped me learn to fly, I promise I'm better than you."

"That doesn't take much," Jungkook replies, passing the bridge and slipping into the cockpit. Jimin plops down in the pilot's seat, booting up the controls. Jungkook luckily knows enough about co-piloting, so he's able to enable the shields and disengage the docking clamps. "Have you ever flown outside the Tokyo?"

"With my girl, sure."

"Were you successful?" Silence. "Jimin?"

"I almost crashed into the side of the Tokyo."

"Oh wow. This is great. I'm so confi- oh. You were getting head, weren't you?"

Jimin proudly smiles, finishing the startup procedure. "Best head I've ever gotten in my life." Jungkook whacks him, the two laughing together while Jimin sends the clearance codes to hangar control. They're given proper instruction on which bay to leave from, Jimin following the directions surprisingly well. The exit comes up, Jimin sucking in a deep breath. "Here we go," he whispers. Then, they depart.

The empty space floats around their windows, Jungkook staring with his jaw agape. "Wow," he says, Jimin humming in agreement. Gaining a bit of confidence, Jimin soars in the sky, Jungkook blinking at him. Alright, it's admittedly weird seeing Jimin in the pilot's seat, but part of the contract he signed with the Tokyo required him to be well-versed in all classes. Piloting was one of them. Jungkook's amazed at how comfortable he seems.

Jimin charts their course, letting a thick sigh out. "We have time before we get anywhere close to Triton, so smoke em' if you got em'." Jungkook softly smiles, staring at his Captain in admiration. Jimin shifts his gaze to meet Jungkook's, his brows furrowing. "What?" Jungkook places a hand on the older man's shoulder, giving him a squeeze.

"You're still an Earthie, Commander. You always will be."