He awoke before his eyes even opened. He could feel his feet steadily touching down onto the ground, could feel something tingle happily over his skin, like the universe was kissing him softly, warmly. He felt safe, and so he opened his eyes.

Light swirled into existence, cerulean ripples ricocheting over the walls, and a single tear slipped down his face. For there, sat on the window sill with one leg hanging in the night sky, was the stranger, his stranger. For he'd figured out who this was, of course, it simply had to be.

"Kookie!" the shout rang out in the room and escaped out the window.

Time didn't freeze, nothing stopped like in the movies, no one moved in slow motion. The man at the window simply turned around, his eyes roaming the empty room, and Taehyung could see the dark circles under his eyes, the sheer hope in the only letter that made it past his lips, barely a whisper.

"V?"

A deep giggle answered him, and warmth filled Jungkook's entire being to the brim, pushing out the tears that had been threatening to spill. And the voice spoke, full of fondness and care and comfort and relief and something soft and unknown.

"Found you," V whispered, and that was all it took for Jungkook to dissolve into sobs.

He fell into the room, his hands finding purchase on the carpet as he cried his whole soul out, crying through the fear and sorrow he'd felt at the idea of losing V. Hiccups racked his body, dots of water littering the floor underneath him.

From the other side of the room, Taehyung tried his best, really he did, to hold the tears back. But locked in place and unable to reach out to his DreamSoul, he faltered, a hiccup escaping him. He reached his arm out, willing his feet to move despite how frozen his legs felt, praying harder and louder and more desperately at every tear that struck the ground, leaning, leaning, leaning towards the broken boy.

And suddenly he was free.

Lunging forwards.

Wrapping his arms around his Kookie and burying his face in the crook of the younger boy's neck.

Shivering arms wrapped themselves around his waist, their legs slotting together so they were as close as possible in their crouching positions, and Taehyung whispered.

He leant in and muttered that he was there. He was there and he wasn't leaving. He was there.

He said it over and over and over, until every promise replaced a tear, and he was so close Jungkook was sure he could feel soft breath sliding over his cheek. So he held on tighter, burrowing his hands into whatever soft fabric the ghost was wearing, screwing his eyes shut so he could feel every inch of home V had returned to him.

And eventually, the sobs subsided. His breathing calmed.

The whispers remained, a hand rubbing slow circles on his back.

"You're okay, Kookie. You're doing great."

And it made Jungkook choke, made him whine into the damp, invisible shirt he was pressed into.

"I hadn't realised you'd taken everything with you when you left..." Jungkook muttered into the ghost's shoulder.

"You're so silly Kookie," Taehyung answered with a kind chuckle, and the sound brought another wave of comfort to the man in his arms. "You got taken away from me. And yes, it happened, but I'm never letting you go again. I promise."

Around them, unknown to them, the Dreamscape twisted, feeling the strain. Managed to settled back down. Safe for now.

***

The next day, Namjoon walked into work to the sight of the Jungkook he knew and reluctantly loved having returned.

"Hyung, hyung! Look at this new storyboard, I'm pretty proud actually, if you disapprove of this you're blind! Look at it, my best work yet! They sent in the first shots from yesterday and it looks so cool! Like, Iron Man cool! The music doesn't fit with the theme for the trailer yet but I'm thinking... Hyung look at the storyboard, please! What do you think, hmm? Hyung, what do you think?"

He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, hair back to being clean and flying all over the place, eyes tired but shining with life once more.

They'd never hung out outside of work, never talked about their families, never shared their troubles, yet Namjoon strode over and gathered the young man in a brotherly hug, squeezing hard. From his embrace came his hoobae's soft chuckle.

"I'm sorry for worrying you hyung."

"If you know then don't do it again," Namjoon answered gruffly, releasing him. "Now show me what we're working with."

When lunch came round, for the first time in two years, they walked to the cafeteria together and sat at the same table. At first it was cautious, a tentative conversation revolving around nothing in particular. Until Namjoon asked Jungkook about the camera he was always carrying around, and which he admitted had always intrigued him, and the younger launched into a passionate spiel about photography. Namjoon spent almost half an hour listening, fondly amused, before he silently gestured towards the exit and Jungkook followed, still going on about apertures and points of focus.

As they were waiting for the lift, Jungkook finally took a breath, before changing conversations so suddenly his silver-haired companion was certain he'd gotten whiplash.

"Who's going to be singing the main OST?"

"I don't know," Namjoon hummed, stepping into the elevator and pressing the button for their floor. "Why?"

"I don't know I'm just... curious? Suddenly?"

The elder's eyes grew wide as they took in the faintest tint of red spreading over his ears. His hoobae had never blushed, he'd never really shown interest in anyone before, and yet here he was, flustered, because of... music? Older brother instincts he wasn't aware he had kicked in, and as the lift opened he stopped Jungkook with one arm, let the doors close again and pressed the button for the music department's floor.

"Uh... hyung? Where are we going?"

"You seem to want to know badly," he smirked. "So we're going to ask."