Chapter Text
Sunset painted Taehyung’s quarters in soft apricot. He yawned, stretching beneath his duvet—only to be nudged awake by Jungkook’s elbow.
“Taetae, up!” Jungkook urged, sliding a blanket off Jimin as the younger crouched beside the bed.
Jimin’s grin was impossible to resist. “The hyungs are at a council summit. We’re free.”
Taehyung swung his legs out of bed, mind racing with possibilities. “What are we doing?”
“Picnic,” Jungkook announced.
In the corridor, Jimin laid out rhubarb-jam sandwiches and blood-orange scones. Jungkook fetched an old fringed picnic blanket from storage.
Taehyung hesitated. “The sun is still out—my skin—”
“Don’t worry,” Jimin said, holding up a bolt of dark velvet from the linens closet. “We’ll bundle you up.”
They packed treats, a flask of spiced tea, and walked to the library.
"Let's go to the library first. I figured; we can read while lounging around." Jimin grinned.
The library’s door was slightly ajar—an invitation. Inside, sunlight filtered through dust-speckled shelves. Taehyung led the way to the back alcove: rows of grimoires, scrolls of blood magic, and at the far end, a heavy iron chest.
Jungkook’s eyes sparkled. “Armory.” He lifted the lid to reveal an array of daggers, warding talismans, and one battered leather tome stamped with Jin’s seal.
Jimin ran a finger over the spine. “Spellbook…and these runes.” He carefully extracted a folded parchment covered in curling symbols.
Taehyung frowned. “Are these… safe?”
Jimin shrugged. “They belonged to Jin when he dabbled in witchcraft. If he wanted us to use them, he’d have left a note.”
Jungkook hoisted the chest lid back in place. “Let's pretend we’re scholars. We’ll just read. No summoning storms.”
Taehyung tucked the spellbook and parchment into his satchel alongside the picnic fare. Their hearts pounded with the thrill of a minor rebellion—only a handful of hours before the hyungs returned.
At the hidden meadow, a flush of goldenrod and lavender greeted them. They spread the blanket, arranged treats, and Jimin opened the spellbook.
“Old High Coven runes,” he murmured. “This one’s for ‘gentle glow.’”
Jungkook formed a circle of small stones. “One light, then back to dessert.”
Taehyung, Jimin, and Jungkook chanted together. A soft amber spark pulsed at the stone circle’s center, flickering like a distant firefly before gently fading.
They exhaled, laughter bright in the lingering twilight. Taehyung pressed a hand to his chest, heart full.
“Baby vampire, chaos certified,” Jimin teased, flopping back onto the blanket.
Taehyung grinned, sunlight-free skin comfortable under their blankets. “Every second worth it.”
Above them, dusk deepened into starlight, and for a few stolen hours, they were just friends sharing magic and a picnic under wildflower skies.
They're just lounging around when they hear it— the soft crunch of boots on grass made all three freeze.
Lantern light carved the dusky meadow into sharp relief. Through the shadows stepped Namjoon, flanked by Jin, Yoongi, and Hoseok. Namjoon’s brow lifted the instant he took in the nearly empty jam jars, the fading rune and the flattened velvet cloak draped over Taehyung’s shoulders.
“Picnic at six?” Namjoon’s voice was calm but edged with disbelief. “Taehyung is not supposed to be awake until 8."
Jungkook’s grin faltered. “We…wanted extra time,” he mumbled, gaze flicking to Taehyung’s bundled blankets.
Jimin’s cheeks pinked under the fading light. “We woke him at five,” he admitted. “Figured there will be not much daylight by then. Sorry hyungs.”
Jin stepped forward, arms crossed. He studied the circle of worn rune stones, now dim. “This charm lasts an hour at most. Its glow faded ten minutes ago—long after sunset.”
Taehyung’s cheeks warmed beneath his hood. “We made sure to put a cloak on him though." Jungkook argued.
Namjoon’s exhale was quiet but heavy. “You let him roam before true nightfall, toyed with runes without supervision, and nearly gave me a heart attack thinking you were lost.”
Hoseok’s hand found Taehyung’s shoulder, a gentle anchor. Yoongi’s shadows curled protectively around the group.
Jin’s stern gaze softened as he looked at Taehyung’s wide eyes. “We’ll start with a proper lesson in rune safety. Pantry duty for every empty jar—and you three will escort Taehyung back inside as soon as it’s fully safe.”
Namjoon nodded. “And no unsupervised spellwork after dusk.”
The three maknaes slumped, half–relieved at the clear boundaries and half–ashamed at their reckless fun. Yet standing in that circle of concerned hyungs, they felt something deeper than reprimand—a fierce, protective belonging.
As they gathered their things and Namjoon lifted Taehyung into his arms, the young vampire realized he wouldn’t trade this watchful care for all the freedom in the world.