Chapter Text
"Hyung, can we go on a picnic for my birthday? No wanna inside " (●︿●)
"But honey, the weather forecast says it might storm that day. Are you sure you want to do it outside?"
"Pwease hyunnie (つ﹏⊂) Hyunnie said hyunnie wuv the storm. Hyunnie lie?" (◕﹏◕。)
"NO! Of course not honey, hyunnie loves the storm and hyunnie loves you the most. We'll go on a picnic okay? Please don't cry"
"Yay" (ฅ•ᴗ•ฅ) "Supwises no no, 'kay ? No supwises" (˶☯ㅅ☯˶)
To say the members were disappointed was an understatement. They were already planning on surprising their hyung with the best party to ever be held by reserving a whole aquarium just for them. The weather forecast said it might be storming that day and it's still too cold to stay outdoors for a long time so the aquarium would've been the perfect place for the occasion. They don't want him to get sick ever again, not even a cold. They would've been safe inside the aquarium, away from the storm and any prodding eyes. Plus, the man would definitely love the place. They could already imagine him stating random trivia about sea creatures with his signature gummy smile. Oh, how wonderful would that be? Well it certainly isn't possible now.
"Yoongi doesn't want any surprises for his birthday. He also doesn't want to be indoor. He only wishes for a nice simple picnic, with all of us," Jin states. "And I know about the weather forecast, Hoseok," he voices, shutting Hoseok up before he could say anything. "If it's wrong then we'll just enjoy our picnic. If not, well, we'll deal with it when the time comes," he shrugs. "Just... don't react negatively, okay?" he pleads. "This is important for him. I'll make sure to wrap him up in as many warm clothes as he needs. Let's respect his wish, okay? It's his birthday, we can't mess this up too," he mutters.
All the members are visibly dejected after hearing the last statement. They've realized how they were being such horrible dongsaengs to their second oldest this past years and they want to change that. They know they can never atone for their mistakes but they still need to do something. Yoongi might say that everything is fine but he still avoids them sometimes. He may not be doing it intentionally but it still hurts the same. They want to create an environment where their hyung will feel comfortable enough to be himself, without needing to hide a certain part of him. The five of them look into each other's eyes, reading each other's thoughts. "If that's what hyung wishes for then that's what we'll do," Jimin declares. "I'll cancel the reservation right away," Taehyung says, excusing himself to make a phone call.
"Don't worry, hyung. We'll do everything right this time. We won't repeat the same mistake," Hoseok assures. The others nod their head, eyes full of determination. Even Teahyung, who is standing at distance, nods his head, sharing the same sentiment. He rejoins the group after ending the call. "We better start making the new plan now. We have to make sure everything is perfect," Namjoon announces, dismissing everyone to go their separate way. They still have work to finish. They'll regroup later to discuss their ideas and make all the preparations they'll need. "Remember, no surprises," Jin reminds. "If Yoongi asks anything please answer truthfully. We can't keep this a secret from him. It won't be good for any of us to do that."
They move out of Namjoon's studio one by one, after spending a good three hours there. They didn't even notice it's been that long. They're lucky that no staff has come looking for them considering they're still at work and even luckier that Yoongi didn't . Jin has said not to make this a secret but they don't want to spoil it too much. If Yoongi doesn't suspect anything, then they should keep it that way. Sure they'll answer everything truthfully if the man questions, but they won't say anything unprompted. They won't be hiding anything but at the same time, they'll keep a low profile. That won't count as a secret, right? The members contemplate the thought in their mind while walking out of the room.
Jin sighs internally, feeling grateful for their support but he can also sense their underlying thoughts. He is the last one to leave the room, after Jungkook, leaving Namjoon to his own devices after reminding him not to push himself too hard. He notices Jungkook dragging his feet a few steps in front of him. "What's wrong, JK?" he calls out, catching up to the boy. "Nothing, hyung," the maknae answers, fidgeting, eyes not meeting his. They've both stopped walking and are now standing in the middle of the hallway. Jin can sense that something is troubling the boy. He moves them into an empty room and inquires again. "Hyu- hyungie happy? Hyungie be happy too? Hyungie make Kookie happy. Kookie wan' make hyungie happy too. Hyungie happy after this?" the boy questions, having slipped into his headspace.
"Bunny, you already making hyungie happy. You make him happy by being you. Please don't worry. Your existence already means a lot to him. You being here is already helping a lot. If you're happy then I'm sure Yoonie will be happy too. He'll do anything for you," Jin whispers, hugging the little tightly.
"Kookie do an'thing for hyungie too," the little breathes, clutching on to the person in front of him. They stay on each other's arms until the boy calms down enough to return to his normal headspace. Jungkook breaks out of the hold, moving back to hastily wipe his face. "I'm okay now, hyung," he mutters, rubbing his neck bashfully. Feeling playful, Jin smooches the boy's head loudly, leaving kisses all over his face. "Eww, hyung. Stop it. I'm not little anymore. Stop," he begs, pushing the man away. They banters for a while longer before stopping. "Thank you, hyung," the boy murmurs with a blush on his face.
Being an idol group means that they don't have a regular schedule like other workers but thankfully they have three days off during Yoongi's birthday. Even if they do have a show the day before, they don't mind as they are free on the 9,10 and 11 of March. That means they can celebrate Yoongi's birthday on the actual date itself, not before, not after. They rarely have the chance to do so, usually opting for a late night celebration. They are going to use this opportunity to celebrate for the whole day and maybe the day after too since technically it's still the 9th in the other part of the world. Celebration or not, they will surely shower Yoongi in lots and lots of love because that is what he deserved, especially after what they have done to him. They promise to never treat his hyung wrongly ever again.
Hoseok wakes up early in the morning, making his way to Yoongi's room to be the first one to greet him but is promptly shot down by Jin. He is banned from entering the room before Yoongi wakes up on his own. Jin has threatened to chop him up and feed him to the fish if he goes anywhere near the sleeping man before locking him out. Jungkook snickers from behind, having witnessed everything. He also suffers the same fate and the two wallow in self pity. Not having anything better to do, they go to the kitchen and get started on breakfast. They wake everyone up, getting ready for the day but Jin and Yoongi still haven't left the room. Namjoon, Jimin and Taehyung take turns to invite them for breakfast only to come back unsuccessful. The food is getting cold but they don't want to start eating before all of them are present. Jungkook stands up to try his luck again but Jin appears, asking for him before he could take a single step.
"Can you slip Jungkook? We can get bun bun first if she'll make it easier," Jin asks on the way, stopping by Jungkook's room. Jungkook is dumbfounded for a moment before realizing the situation. He nods mutely, taking bun bun into his hands. They walk towards Yoongi's room, halting in front of the door, knocking gently. They sit down in front of it, making themselves comfortable. Jin whispers sweet words against the door while tenderly patting Jungkook's head, easing him into little space. He looks sad but Jungkook pays it no mind as he slowly drifts inside his head. He lays against Jin's broad chest, enjoying the warmth with bun bun in his hold. Jin rubs his tummy, tickling him softly, hiding his sniffles. He clears his throat but his voice still comes out wobbly. "Yoonie honey, come out please. Kookie's here. He wants to play with you. Isn't that right, Kookie?"
Jungkook can't comprehend the question as he is floating between headspace but the shakiness of Jin's voice is breaking his heart. He feels sad all of a sudden and lets out a low whimper. "Hyungie... Hyungie, Jinnie sad. Hyungie help Jinnie," he pleads against the door, wiping the invisible tears from Jin's face. He calls out to hyungie again and again, voice getting louder each time, desperation clears in his tone. Jin tries to calm the boy down by smiling brightly but he can't fool anyone. He covers his face completely, feeling the tears flowing out against his will. The little knocks on the door frantically, asking for help. He hears a click and the door slowly opens, revealing a kumamon blankie.
"Kookie?" The blankie mutters, voice rough and barely audible. It takes in a few breaths, regulating its breathing. "Kookie?" It tries again, voice clearer. Kookie pulls his body back, feeling terrified, and collides with Jin. The man quickly wraps his hand around the boy to prevent them from falling over. "Hyunnie," a hand reaches out to wipe the tears from Jin's face. "What's wrong? Why hyunnie cry?," the blankie tilts its head, uncovering kittens like eyes, a little red around the corners, and unruly hair.
"Hyungi-" Kookie exclaims but is cut off by Jinnie who is squishing him against the kumamon (hyungie?) blankie. Jinnie is blurting out praises, telling the boy how proud he is, how much he loves him, covering every inch of his face with kisses. The boy pecks back, letting out a small giggle. Kookie feels left out and squirms around, demanding for some attention. He kisses everyone on their cheek, alternating between the two. All of them laugh gleefully, enjoying the moment. The laughter ceases when Kookie's tummy lets out a mighty growl.
Hyungie invites them into his room and brings a box out from his closet. He takes out a few clothes and lays them on the bed. Jin helps them change into we bare bears hoodies with Kookie as grizz, hyungie as ice bear. Jinnie also matches them by putting on the panda hoodie. Jin washes all of their faces in the bathroom before walking them out to the kitchen. Hyungie brings his blankie with him, covering his head. All three of them hold each other's hands with hyungie in the middle, guiding the boy. They join the others for a hearty breakfast. Jin pulls up the boy's blankie, revealing only half of his face to make it easier to feed him. There's some tension in the air but Kookie doesn't notice it. He finds the morning to be comfortable, with all of his caregivers paying attention to him while giving hyungie space.
"Let's go on a picnic" Hoseok suggests to the room in his cheerful voice. It is only around noon but Kookie has managed to exhaust all four of his caregivers by playing tag. Jin and his kumamon shadow are in the kitchen, packing lunch. The two might actually merge together at this rate, never once separating. The younger of the pair hasn't uttered a single word since making an appearance, making it impossible for the others to talk to him. Jin has warned them not to carelessly approach the boy, so none of them wants to risk the chance of upsetting him further. Hoseok focuses all of his attention on the small figure, not wanting to miss even the slightest reaction. He seems to be mumbling something against Jin's shoulder before getting a kiss on the head. He turns around, looking at Hoseok's general direction, muttering something under his breath. He waves his hand, signaling for Hoseok to come closer. Hoseok strides forward until he is stopped a few feet away. He really really needs to strain his ears to hear the boy. "Even if it'll storm?"
"Of course!" Hoseok beams with all his heart. "It doesn't matter what the weather is, as long as we're together then everything will be alright. Plus, didn't you want a picnic for your birthday, hyu- Yoonie?" He sees the boy giving him a little nod. "Well if that's what you want, then that’s what you’ll get. We will go through a storm to make it happen because we love you so much Yoonie, so so much. Please let us take care of you too," he finishes with longing in his eyes. The boy raises his head even if it's still covered by a hoodie and a blankie. He takes a few small steps and stands in front of Hoseok. He angles his face to the side with his hands behind his back. He squirms a little, seemingly waiting for something.
Hoseok looks at Jin, asking for advice. Jin takes in the scene with a fond look before pointing to his right hand. Hoseok raises one eyebrow up and cautiously lifts his hand, laying it on top of the boy's head, caressing it tenderly. The blankie is so soft to the touch, although he's sure the boy's hair will be a thousand times softer. He feels a pair of arms wrap around his torso and it takes all of his willpower to not burst out into tears, lest he'll scare the boy away. He gently takes the boy into his embrace. One might think he will howl out of happiness but in reality he's just enjoying this in silence. The moment feels so fragile that even the littlest noise can break the spell. "Let's go on a picnic Yoonie," he whispers. He immediately feels a nod against his chest.
Two hours later, the bangtan boys find themselves in a secluded part of Seoul Forest Park. There are not many visitors available probably due to the weather forecast. This makes things better for them as it means less chances of being interrupted. Kookie and Yoonie fell asleep 30 minutes into the preparation and didn't wake up for the entire car ride. Jin didn't change any of their clothes, opting for putting on extra jackets instead while the others fill the cars with all the things they need for the outing. The thick jackets should be enough to shelter them from the cold .
They lay out two picnic blankets and occupy both blankets with all the food they've brought. They eat lunch under beautiful cherry blossom trees while enjoying the view and breeze. Hoseok manages to feed Yoonie a few bites but the other three aren't so lucky. Yoonie is less clingy with Jin now and even joins them during their play time. The seven of them run around and hide between the trees to avoid getting caught. They spend hours running in circles and laughing like maniacs, with a certain gummy smile in sight. They never want to stop living this moment but then the sky starts to darken. The sound of thunder can be heard, signalling that a storm is coming. They briskly load everything back into the cars, wanting to get out of there before the storm hits. They get into their respective vehicles and buckles on their seatbelts, ready to hit the road.
"Wait!" Jin shouts, stopping Taehyung from hitting the gas. The backseat is only occupied by Jimin and Kookie. He steps out and walks to the other car. "Is Yoongi here?". He doesn't know why he bother asking when he can clearly see that there's only two people in there. "Yoongi's gone," he dreads, face paling.
Five of them move out to search the area, looking for the lost boy, with Jimin staying behind in case he comes back. They split up into four directions to cover more ground and hopefully find the man faster. Jin makes sure to take Kookie with him as they can't afford to lose another person. Plus, he is sure that the little has the highest chance of finding their missing member compared to all of them. A particularly harsh lightning splits the sky in half, followed by a booming thunder, causing the ground to shake. Jin momentarily loses his balance and falls, hands colliding with the ground painfully. Not even attempting to get up, he stays down on his front and buries his face in his arms dreading his worst fear.
A shout pulls him out of his head. He sees Kookie running to a lone figure standing near the river. The boy crashes into the man making the two of them almost topple over. Jin rushes to them in mere second, engulfing them both in a hug so tight, none of them can move a muscle. He takes in the warmth of his favourite people, enjoying their presence. He lets out unintelligible words, feeling too grateful to formulate his thoughts properly. The sky above cracks and basks them in shimmering light, breaking Jin out of his stupor. The wind blows harder, making them shiver. They need to get out of there before the rain hits. Jin loosens his hug and takes both of their hands instead. They head towards the cars while huddling close together. Jin makes sure to put Yoongi in the middle with Kookie at the front.
The others are already gathered near the cars, waiting for their last three members. The weather has gotten worse, only seconds away before the sky unleashes all of her tears. Maybe Hoseok is imagining things, but he feels like the rain has already fallen. He feels wetness on his cheeks but the ground is dry. He looks up to the sky and feels a drop of rain falling into his eyes, slowly flowing down his face. Another drop enters his eyes and another and another. All of them only dropping into his eyes. The trees haven't stopped rustling for a while now, whispering nothing into his ears. The sky darkens, turning day into night, making him see nothing. He wants to block his every sense, feeling hopelessness consumes him, yet he fails. There's a voice calling his name, calling their names. He dares not hope but how could he? He's J-hope. If he gives up now then he can no longer be him.
He turns his head towards the sound and spots three figures thrudging towards them. He squints his eyes, trying to gauge their faces but deep down he already knows who they are. He springs up to his feet, detaching himself from the hood of the car and runs towards the figures. His actions have alerted the other boys, making them look towards the direction he's going. Three simultaneous gasps can be heard and three pairs of feet join him in his running. They close the gap between them but stop suddenly. They would've kept running until all of them were finally united, yet they couldn't force their feet to move when they saw how the middle of the three froze. The middle plants his feet to the ground, stopping the two others from moving too.
The two groups stay at a standstill, none dares to move. The five caregivers wait for the middle's response with bated breath while Kookie nuzzles into his neck, calming the boy down. The boy unfreezes, locking his eyes with the ground, and tightening the hold of his hands. The two beside him reciprocate his hold and caress the back of his hands with their thumbs. "Yoo- Yoo-" he struggles. Jin gently rubs his back, encouraging him to speak up while Kookie hugs his side tighter, nuzzling into his neck further. "Yoo- Yoonie," he tries again, this time a little louder. "Yoonie is a li- a li- little," he finishes, voice slowly dying. The wind carries the boy's will, letting the four in front of him know what he meant. The two holding his hands envelop him in a warm yet slightly awkward hug as they didn't let go of each others' hands.
The four in the front let out a synchronous sigh of relief, not noticing they've been holding their breaths all this while. "Welcome to the family, Yoonie" Hoseok calls out tenderly with a warm smile on his face. "Can I give you a hug?", he asks, opening his arms as he waits for permission. The boy raises his right hand, the one that is clasped with Jin's. Hoseok takes it as an approval and inches forward. He moves slowly so as to not scare the little, carefully extending his hands around the boy, around the three of them until he no longer can. "Ca- can we hug you too, Yoonie?", the 95 liners ask. Jin raises his head to relay them the approval, as the little has no way of doing so. They move behind the boy and close the gap between them. There's no part of the little that can still be seen, being completely hidden by th five out of six people closest to him.
Namjoon stays rooted on his spot, not knowing what to do. He wants to be part of the hug too but there's no more room for him to fit in. Kookie pokes out his head, holding his arm out, silently asking for his daddy to join him. Namjoon treads towards the boy and drapes his arm on his and Hoseok's shoulders, hands overlapping with Jimin's and Jin's, fingers touching with Taehyung's, nose touching some of Yoonie's hair, finally completing the hug. There they are, having the best group hug in the middle of a brewing storm.
The bright flash of lightning and the explosive sound of thunder force them to cut the hug short. They run towards the cars while holding on to each other tightly, entering them one by one, just in time for the first rain to drop. Jin looks at the back seat, making sure the two littles have fastened their seatbelts correctly, before giving Hoseok the green light. Kookie looks at the back car through the glass, spotting his daddy sitting shotgun. He waves his hands frantically, receiving a wave back from all three of them. He grabs hyungie's hands, gesturing for him to do the same. Hyungie gives the tiniest wave, hand only moving slightly but the three in the other car enthusiastically wave back. Jimin, going as far as forcing his upper half to the front, plasters his face on the windshield. Hyungie lets out small giggles while Kookie is lowkey dying of laughter.
Jin hates to break off the littles' fun but they need to get moving now. Ten minutes into the ride and the littles are already dozing off, heads lolling against each other, hands entwining. Jins looks at the two of them through the rearview mirror, feeling so utterly full. He rests his head against the door, looking out the glass.
The outside is storming, the strong wind blowing making the trees shiver, the rain pitter pattering against the car making it hard to see the road, the lightning illuminating the evening sky and the thunder breaking the silence. The storm is obstreperous, always compelling for attention. The storm is cataclysmic, always destroying everything in her wake. The storm is perilous, always endangering people's lives. The storm is a monster but she is also incredibly beautiful. The outside may be storming but the inside of the car is calm. The calmest it has ever been.
"Yoonie honey, it's okay to love the storm but you don't have to be stuck in it by yourself. You have us now. Please let us be there with you"
"u'uh Yoonie doesn't love the storm, Yoonie is trying too. Yoonie used to hate the storm 'cus storm is bad."
"That's not true, Yoonie. The storm isn't all bad. The storm serves to cool the air, making it the perfect weather for us to cuddle close together. The storm removes the pollution in the air, making it fresher for us to inhale. The storm can be calming for some people, making them feel better. The storm can be good too, Yoonie. Please don't hate it."
"It's okay, hyunnie. Yoonie doesn't hate the storm as much anymore. It's okay, hyunnie. Yoonie loves you."
"And I love you too Yoonie."
It's okay even if no one loves the storm, as long as they don't hate him