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The grocery store is quiet, the lights flickering ominously.
Namjoon grabs a cart, rolling it slowly through the abandoned store. He glances around, eyes darting down the aisles–the others are somewhere in here, grabbing necessities and protecting each other. Pursing his lips, Namjoon starts with dry, nonperishables. He peruses the barren shelves, grabbing whatever he can. Canned vegetables and fruit, powdered milk, flour, cereal, coffee–it all goes in the cart. He can hear a sharp bark of a laugh, Jimin’s voice loud in the otherwise silent store.
Namjoon continues down the aisles, a brief glimpse of Hoseok reassuring him. Namjoon doubles back, retracing his steps to catch anything he missed–they really can’t be picky. He passes Seokjin, the older man giving him a small smile, his own cart full of nonfood items–matches, cleaning supplies, tacky-made clothes, a few books–anything that could help.
“Ten minutes!”
Namjoon nods, double-checking his watch. Gathering all he can, he moves to the front of the store, their meeting spot the deserted café in the front of store. Hoseok and Jin appear a few moments later, their own carts filled; Hoseok was able to scrape together some perishables, a few fruits and vegetables that haven’t gone completely bad yet. They aren’t for eating, moreso picking them for their seeds and for composting.
“Everyone here?”
Namjoon glances up, Taehyung’s booming voice carrying through the store. He has a baseball bat slung over his shoulder, expression somber. Jimin and Jungkook flank him, their expressions similar–Namjoon feels a wave of anger wash over him. They used to be so innocent, so happy–it’s not right. He lets out a long sigh, watching as Yoongi joins them, his own bat hanging at his side.
“Bite check,” Jimin murmurs, going up to each of them.
He pokes and prods, pulling at their clothes and running his fingers over their skin. He offers Namjoon a small smile, patting his shoulder before moving on to Yoongi. The older man murmurs something, Jimin huffing a laugh as he checks the other over.
“We should head out soon,” Namjoon says quietly, turning to face the others, “it’s getting late.”
Hoseok and Seokjin nod, the latter going towards Taehyung and Jungkook. They wait for Jimin and Yoongi to rejoin them before moving towards the exit, on edge as they make for Seokjin’s SUV. They quickly load the car up, shoving as much as they can in the boxes already there, moving and arranging as Yoongi, Jungkook, and Taehyung keep an eye out.
“D’you see anything?” Yoongi asks, eyes roving the parking lot.
“No. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t here.”
Nodding, Yoongi backs up until he’s flush against the car. He and Jungkook wait until the others are in the car before hurrying in themselves, the doors locking as Seokjin starts driving. Namjoon squeezes himself closer to center console, giving Taehyung a little more room–it’s almost impossible, all seven of them fitting in the van, along with their supplies–they make it work.
“…Should check the stores near campus next,” he mutters, sharing a glance with Taehyung.
“Whatever you want, hyung,” he says softly, offering the other a ghost of a smile.
There’s a moment of peace, the seven of them relaxing–Seokjin slams on the breaks, a figure darting across the road. Swearing, Yoongi dives under the front passenger’s seat, pulling out a gun. Namjoon blanches, eyes darting around the window; he can’t see anything now, but the figure was there. Jungkook shushes someone, cutting off a frantic little yelp. Hands white on the steering wheel, Seokjin lets the car idle, waiting.
They don’t have to wait long.
The figure slams into the front of their car, decaying body rumbling at them. Yoongi snarls back, eyes sharp; the figure scrambles along the side of the car, Seokjin breathing quick and shallow as it claws past his window. Namjoon reaches his hand out, gripping Seokjin’s knee–he keeps his eyes on the road, though, checking for more of them. Taehyung is pressed sharp against his body, arms shaking only slightly–he’s had a hard time adjusting, and it still shows whenever this happens.
“Get the top open,” Yoongi booms, readying the gun.
Seokjin fumbles for the sunroof, Hoseok and Jimin stabilizing Yoongi as he stands up. Poking his head out, he brings the gun up, aiming it at the figure as it claws at the car. Jungkook is watching it closely from the window, barely reacting as it spits and claws a few inches from his face; cocking the gun, Yoongi lets out a quick whistle, the figure’s attention snapping to him.
Namjoon slips his eye shut just as he hears the sharp pop of the gun going off, a dull thud of a body falling a moment later. He can hear Yoongi climbing back down, Hoseok grunting in pain as the shorter man clambers over all their laps to reach Jimin, though he stays silent–Jimin’s always been the best at calming Yoongi down, and it shows. A few moments later, the older man lets out a broken sound, his head landing on Jimin’s shoulder.
Prying his eyes open, Namjoon slowly releases his grip on Seokjin’s knee, glancing at him apologetically. Seokjin gives him a brief, pained smile. Taehyung exhales shakily next to him, slumping against the older man. Reaching his arm around Taehyung, Namjoon tugs him in closer, letting him settle in his lap as he looks in the back, checking everyone over.
“Let’s get home, okay?”
Gritting his teeth, Seokjin gives a tight nod, slowly starting the car up again. They don’t encounter any other figures, though everyone’s eyes are open, searching; they reach ‘home’ soon enough, the other car they use for supply runs and moving right where they left it. Parking, Seokjin waits for Jungkook to hop out, scanning the area and checking the other car for any damage and tampering before opening his own door. Slowly they all start to shuffle out, Jimin bundling Yoongi towards the building.
“I hate this,” Hoseok mutters, face pale as he looks at the others, “I hate it.”
Namjoon can feel something fluttering in his throat, eyes stinging a bit; still, he puts a comforting hand on Hoseok’s shoulder, hugging him loosely. Seokjin rubs a gentle hand through Hoseok’s hair before lugging a box full of supplies into the building. Taehyung and Jungkook watch the perimeter, the youngest nudging into Hoseok’s side in comfort.
“C’mon, hyung,” Namjoon says, tugging Hoseok back towards the supplies still in the car, “let’s get this stuff inside.”
Letting out a small sigh, Hoseok nods, piling as much as he can into his box; the others follow suit, Jungkook keeping a hand on his baseball bat just in case. Namjoon shoulders the door open, holding it open for the others as they come inside the old home–it’s a farmhouse, with a barn and kennel attachment. Yoongi had found it a few weeks ago, expression cautious as he proposed it. Now, it’s become a place of safety and comfort, and hopefully a place to rebuild.
Namjoon hopes it stays that way for a long time.