Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Life journeys. On the way, you are influenced by others, helped by others, harmed by others. Some things happen because you have earned them. And some things happen because cruelty flickers through the dark currents and rises up without warning; causing harm, causing pain, causing tragedies that can devastate one person or an entire village.”
― Anne Bishop, Belladonna

In the distance a scream rips the veil of silence characteristic of the dead cities.

Jungkook pauses for a moment to catch his breath. He rests his head on the dirty wall of an alley and closes his eyes. His breath, laboured after having run for a while, comes out in loud exhales from his nose. Something in his stomach, perhaps empathy, tells him that he should be worried about whoever that human being is. His legs are shaking, begging him to move, run towards the screams and help, do something at least. Jungkook stays still where he is. He tightens his grip on the wooden handle of the axe until the knuckles of his hand hurt, but he doesn't move.

He should feel scared, frightened if not. He’s not. He hasn’t been in months.

The cries for help suddenly cease so Jungkook opens his eyes again. He inhales profoundly, until the oxygen completely fills his lungs. He is still alive.

He sends a quick glance at the main street that the alley overlooks, where he thinks the screams came from. He moves fast so in just a few seconds Jungkook is already back to his previous hidden position in the shadows. The scene he witnessed is nothing too unusual, a body lying lifeless on the asphalt surrounded by a bunch of living deads. Jungkook takes another quick look. He confirms that the body is of a man, as he had already guessed from the voice. Probably middle aged and completely unarmed. The pair of red sneakers the man is still wearing catches Jungkook's attention. He then looks down at his own shoes, completely worn out by time and use and, only for a brief second, Jungkook finds himself thinking how he could make good use of them.

He suddenly freezes when he distinctly hears footsteps approaching. The pace, however, is slow and uncertain and produces a noise similar to friction against the ground, as if the person who is walking could not properly raise their knees to move forward, resolving the problem by dragging their feet against the asphalt. Jungkook slowly turns his head to inspect the dark alley behind him. Empty. The footsteps are followed by a grunt-like moan, clearly coming from the main road. Jungkook finds himself tightening his grip around the ax, until he feels the muscles in his arm pull from the tension and his knuckles turn white.

Dealing with just one zombie isn't a problem for Jungkook, but that's not what worries him. If he kills it the noise he would make would be loud enough to attract the attention of the other zombies who are feeding on that man. Jungkook never liked to be in the spotlight, moreover he is not entirely confident of being able to get out of the whole situation still human if he were to fight them all alone. Were there six of them? Maybe seven, he can’t remember clearly. A drop of sweat drips from his chin and falls on his hand. He spreads his legs nwide apart, bending his knees slightly, and takes a defensive stance, just as he was taught by his hyungs. He prepares for the worst to come.

A walking dead walks in front of him, only a few meters from the alley where he is standing. It had been a woman long ago, a pretty young woman, still wearing a summer dress that once must have been of the purest white but now it’s yellowish and torn in more than one place. The undead exhales another grunt as it opens its mouth to reveal the lower row of teeth. Jungkook holds his breath for the whole time, trying to make less noise possible, but finds himself getting genuinely surprised when he goes unnoticed. Slowly the dragging of feet and the wheezes become more and more distant. When he can no longer hear them, Jungkook wipes the sweat on his forehead with his forearm. In a whisper he thanks a random deity.

Not wanting to be caught off guard again he decides to move and do it quickly. His time is running out and he has to get back to the others as quickly as possible. The sooner the better. If he took the correct route here then the pharmacy should be just across the street, hidden in a side alley. He really has no more time to waste so Jungkook exhales and starts running. He manages to cross the completely deserted roadway smoothly, yet he can't help but look at the man lying lifeless on the ground for one last time. He notices how the zombie in the white dress has finally reached the others and is now digging with its hands in the corpse’s intestines, staining its dress with a bright bloody red.

Jungkook starts breathing regularly again only when he has safely hidden in the alley on the other side of the road. He looks around and scans the surroundings, luckily, he easily finds what he was looking for. Hoseok had reassured him that this was one of the few remaining pharmacies not yet raided by the other survivors. Jungkook tentatively peeks inside the shop from the window, but as he already expected, the shop is immersed in total darkness. He then tries to push the door, to see if he has to force the lock, but to his surprise he discovers that it is already open. He doesn’t like it but enters anyway. It’s his only choice. He pushes the bad feeling at the back of his head.

He takes a flashlight out of his backpack and turns it on to illuminate the interior of the pharmacy. He kicks some shards of glass that he finds on the floor. If there were any living dead hidden inside, then the noise would have brought them out. Jungkook then waits patiently with the torch held firmly in his left hand and the axe in his right one. He counts to twenty, but nothing moves, the shop is completely empty and safe. Not too far from the entrance Jungkook spots some shelves, so he decides to check them first. He approaches them and places the electric torch on top of a shelf to better illuminate the place. He drops his empty backpack on the floor but he never lets go of his weapon. He then starts to grab several bottles of medicine, he also tries to read the labels with different names on, but then gives up as he can't understand much from the names alone. He therefore decides to take one of every kind, just to make sure he gets the right one. Jungkook also notes that some of them have expired but he just shrugs it off and puts them all inside his backpack anyway. He can't exactly be picky in this situation.

Jungkook wanders around the store, scanning different medicines and picking up the ones he might need. Just as he's about to leave, his eyes catch on something behind the cashier counter. A brand of medicine that he didn't find on the shelves. He decides to move quickly, grab it and call it a day, but when he walks around the counter to reach it Jungkook freezes in place. He sees a glint of something and hears a ragged breath. It’s too dark to recognize what it is. Jungkook decides to lift his ax, he is ready to kill to defend himself.

"Stop! Please!" Someone suddenly screams. A human being.

Jungkook drops the flashlight in surprise. "Holy shit." He curses under his breath.

The light from the torch illuminates the scene in front of him. A boy who can’t be older than him is curled up on himself on the floor, hiding under the counter. His face is facing down, while his hands are raised over his head trying in some way to protect himself from the blow of the ax. Jungkook hesitates in front of him, but as he is about to lower his weapon, the boy screams again.

"Please! Put that thing do- “ He starts but Jungkook won't let him finish this time. He kneels on the floor and in a sharp movement he manages to put his hand on his mouth and silence him.

“Shut up. Do you want to get us both killed?” Jungkook hisses between his teeth and immediately feels the boy shake his head. “Great. Look, I'm not going to hurt you. I thought you were a zombie, sorry. Can you stand up?”

The boy nods.

“Brilliant. I'm about to take my hand off, but first you have to promise me that you won't scream anymore. I don’t want to fight zombies in this cramped ass space. Can you do that?”

Another nod.

Jungkook carefully removes his hand and when he sees that the other is quiet, he collects his torch and gets up, his knees crack because of the uncomfortable position he had been in. He points the flash at the boy who blinks his eyes a few times because of the sudden exposition to light after being in the dark for so long. He’s wearing a black and white striped sweater with some holes in it. Jungkook can’t tell if they’re made on purpose or not, but that’s not important. His face on the other hand. His facial features are almost too perfect to be real. If they weren’t in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, he would have blamed it on plastic surgery, especially his full lips.

Jungkook extends his arm towards him but the boy shows a moment of hesitation in which he stares intensely at Jungkook’s figure, his eyes look at him from head to toes although they stop for a brief moment on the hand that is holding the axe. The good-looking boy bites his lips but finally moves forward and accepts Jungkook’s help. He grabs his hand to stand up and as Jungkook supports him his eyes stare at his delicate and slim wrist around which a simple silver bracelet is secured. His mind registers instead the smoothness of the hand he’s holding, in contrast with his rough and hard skin covered in old scars. The guy hefts himself up, wobbles around a little due to his legs having been bent in an uncomfortable position for long but he recovers promptly. Once he gets steady on his feet, he quickly withdraws his hand and lets it fall on his side. Jungkook tries to suppress his surprise as he sees something he had not noticed before. Strapped on his back there are a bow and a quiver with some arrows inside.

“Why were you hiding down there?” He asks even though he shouldn’t care about others. He should just hurry back with the drugs, but Jungkook has always been the curious type. “Are you hurt?” Bitten maybe, Jungkook thinks.

The other shakes his head. "At first, when you entered the shop, I thought you were a living dead, but then I saw the light of your flashlight, so I hid." He explains shrugging his shoulders in nonchalance.

"You would have been fine if a zombie walked in, but you were afraid of a human?"

“Zombies are stupid, slow and easy to kill. Human beings are not.” He says firmly, “there are a lot of bad humans out there.” He then adds as an afterthought.

In response to that Jungkook hums in agreement. It is true.

When the outbreak began to spread, perhaps something like five years ago, no one has really been counting the days, the initial threat was zombies, largely due to the fact that no one knew how to kill them. Not with a bullet in their hearts as they could still move later, not by breaking their legs; they would still be able to crawl. A lot of time had to pass until someone found out that they could be blocked from hitting their heads, with something sharp or with a bullet. It was after the discovery became known that the threat changed. The survival instinct made some humans lose their minds and turn insane. Groups of survivors began waging war with each other for weapons and food supplies. Killing humans when there were already so little left on the Earth. Well, at least Jungkook had made sure that neither of them was part of those groups.

Jungkook finally grabs that flacon behind the counter and puts it inside his backpack, closing it after with the zip to secure the goods.

“Then. See you around, I guess.” He says nodding as a goodbye towards the boy who had followed each one of his movements in silence. “Or maybe not.” He adds in a whisper.

“Sto- wait.” The boy stops him. It started out as a scream but then he lowered the tone of his voice. “I also came here for the medicines.” He says stern, determination in his eyes.

“I haven’t raided the pharmacy; I’ve left plenty of them.” Jungkook says moving his hand around towards the shelves. He really had taken only one flagon for each type of medicine.

At that point the boy’s eyes soften, and he almost smiles. “Are you by your own?”

“Here? I came alone but I have someone waiting for me out of town.” He answers truthfully. “And you?”

“No, I’m here with a friend,” he says with a polite smile. Jungkook starts looking around at that. “He’s not inside here, probably going around the area,” he explains.

Jungkook’s bad feeling comes back suddenly, like an alarm that rings inside his head. Before asking he gulps down even though his throat is completely dry. “Is he wearing a pair of red sneakers?”

The pretty boy’s already big eyes become even bigger. Jungkook sees different emotions show up on his face in a split of a second, going from confusion, to fear and finally to suspicion.

“What- How do you know?” He asks sucking in a breath.

Fucking hell.

“Listen.” Jungkook decides to take a step forward, “I’m really sorry.”

Realization hits the boy hard, his expression morphs into one of panic and he steps back accidentally kicking some boxes, “Is he dead? He- Did you..”

“He is, yeah, and-“

The glint in his eyes suddenly changes, he moves forward, his footsteps heavy on the ground. He’s quick to grab Jungkook’s shirt and harshly yanks him. “What have you done? It was you! You killed him!” He starts to accuse him while pushing him against a shelf. A container falls down, the glass crashes when it reaches the floor.

“I did nothing! And don’t yell please.” Jungkook says calm, trying to maintain his cool. He gets that he is probably shocked and scared, so responding with more anger could only make the situation worse.

The boy loosens his grip on the fabric of Jungkook’s shirt and takes two steps back just to then crouch down. He hides his face with his hands and shortly after he begins to tremble, his bottom lip quivers but he is not crying yet.

Jungkook approaches him, to do what he doesn’t really know. He just wants to comfort him, knowing full well what it feels like when a friend dies. He reaches out his hand to pat his head, words of consolation are on the tip of his tongue, but he stops. He hears something hitting against the glass. The boy stops shaking too and instead looks up, his eyes fixed behind Jungkook. Another bang. Jungkook follows his gaze. At the shop window there is a walking dead that is looking directly at them while furiously opening and closing its mouth. It must have heard the screams. What an awful day. Jungkook’s fast to act. He drops his backpack to the floor in the sake of grabbing his axe.

“I’ll kill it before it attracts the attention of other zombies.” Thank fuck they can’t open doors, Jungkook thinks.

“Open the door,” he hears from behind, the boy had gotten up.

“And let him inside? I think the fuck not.” Jungkook snaps almost annoyed.

“You would make too much noise with that,” he points at the axe in his hands. “Trust me. Open the door.” He says stern.

Jungkook is not used to trust anyone else but his hyungs. Surely, he does not trust a complete stranger whose name he still doesn’t know. But his shitty survival instinct still hasn’t killed him, right? He decides to trust his guts and open the door, placing himself rapidly to the side. Three seconds pass, the zombie’s reaction time isn’t this fast to let it enter the place and yet an arrow flies in front of Jungkook's face, only to stick into the zombie’s head. It falls face down with a thud. The action’s done fast and clean. Jungkook turns his head to look at the boy who is now repositioning again the bow on his back with experience.

He takes Jungkook’s backpack and steps forward towards the door. He hands it to Jungkook and with a yank he slides the arrow out the dead body and puts it back in his quiver, without cleaning it of the blood and pieces of decomposing flesh attached to it.

“Take me to where my friend is, I want to see him,” he scowls at him.

Jungkook blinks out of his astonishment and nods, he can do that, he has to go off the main road to get back home anyways. “Follow me,” he says adjusting the backpack on his shoulder.

The boy follows him until they are almost out of the alley. Jungkook stops, peeks his head out on the road, the corpse would be now unrecognizable if it weren’t for those cursed shoes. The zombies are gone. Jungkook nods to the other to take a look too and so he does. He is quick to look back, his lips pressed in a thin line to probably hold back a sob.

“Yeah, it’s him,” he whispers, the last drop of hope disappearing from his voice.

Jungkook puts a hand on his shoulder and the boy does not reject it. “I’m sure you are used to lose the people you love.” He says and he receives a nod as a response. “You’re not alone, right? You have a group?” Jungkook asks, suddenly worried.

“I do, it’s in the woods.”

“Then get back to them, I’m sure you didn’t get here by feet.” Jungkook says as he withdraws his hand. He then waits for an answer.

The boy bites down on his lower lip, “Me and Ilsung have a car.”

Jungkook nods reassured and straightens his back. “Then, I’ll go this way.” He says pointing with his thumb at the main road and turns to go away. He stills when he feels a pull at his shirt.

“I don’t have... I don’t know how to drive.” He admits, tugging faintly at Jungkook’s clothes.

Jungkook turns to face him when he lets go of the fabric. The boy has his head lowered and is looking at his feet. The alarm in his head doesn’t stop to remind him to hurry back, that his hyungs need him. Too many hours have passed since he left, they must be worried and Namjoon needs the goods in his backpack. At the same time, he can’t leave the boy alone. He should, he doesn’t know him. He shouldn’t care for him. But then Jungkook remembers the screams from before. His friend’s screams, he said a name earlier, Ilsung if he remembers correctly. Jungkook could have saved him if he had wanted to. Maybe the two of them could have fought six zombies and came out of it alive, but Jungkook stood still and waited for the pleads for help to fade out. It’s partially his fault if he’s now alone. He tightens the grip on the handle of his weapon and chews the inside of his cheek in frustration.

“How far is it?”

The boy looks at his face lost.

“The woods, your camp. How far is it from here?” Jungkook asks again. “I’ll bring you home, I have a motorcycle there.” He says pointing behind his shoulder, at the alley where he came from.

“Real- Why would you?”

Jungkook nods, because I feel like a shit for letting your friend die that’s why, he thinks. “Because I don’t want you to die,” he says instead. “So how far is it?”

“You’re a good person.” No I’m not. “Only half an hour from here, I think.”

Jungkook thinks that if he goes fast enough, he can make it in fifteen minutes only. “Follow me, we have to cross the main road. Don’t look at your friend,” he says giving him the back.

He glances around and when he’s sure the path is clear, he makes a gesture with his hand, showing him to start running. The boy’s not clumsy, he runs fast, and his steps are like feathers, lighter than Jungkook’s. They reach his vehicle directly without a hitch. Jungkook gets on the motorbike and places his backpack in the front, between his arms. He would give the boy a helmet if he had one. He waits to feel the other’s body pressed against his back and when he feels hands gripping at his sides, he turns on the engine. During the ride the boy shows him the way by pointing at different roads.

“Am I going too fast?” He asks at a certain point, his voice tone higher to be heard above the wind. Jungkook feels him shaking his head.

“Thanks.” He instead says softly against his back, tightening the grip on his hips. Jungkook’s not sure he heard it right, maybe he just imagined the word.

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They arrive at a camp not long after. He decides to park a bit far away, as not to scare the residents. As soon as he kills the engine, the boy hops off the motor vehicle and with hurry rushes towards the direction of the campsite. Jungkook thinks about leaving, the boy is now safe, and he has no more business left to do here. He needs to get back home now. He’s about to make up his mind and restart the engine to leave when he hears a shout. Without even thinking about it he jumps off the bike and runs in the same direction where he had seen the boy go before. The bad feeling is back.

The camp itself is not too big for what he can see, there are few camping tents, some bigger than others, scattered around the area. They are placed in a circle with an unlit bonfire in the middle. Jungkook has seen camps like this before, even lived in one of them for a short period of time, but what surprises him is that he is able to hear the rumble of water. A nearby river. They made a camp near clean water, smart people.

He looks around but does not see anyone, the place seems abandoned. He sees a column of smoke that probably comes from the fire at the centre, so he decides to walk towards it. He freezes when he sees the boy. He is kneeled down, his back is facing Jungkook. His body is shaking hard and Jungkook remembers what happened inside the pharmacy. A loud sob escapes from his lips and Jungkook’s heart shatters.

He doesn’t understand. Where is everyone? Have they left him alone? What kind of group would do something like this? He moves forward but then he steps on something. Jungkook looks down and jumps back in horror at the sight. He had just stepped on a hand. He understands now. He looks at the corpse on the ground, a woman. Her eyes are open and fixated on the sky, her last moments of terror still frozen on her face. Jungkook notices that there are some violets woven in her hair.

She’s not a zombie and will never become one because of the wound on her head, probably done by a bullet for what Jungkook can tell. Then the boy’s words came back to his mind, there are a lot of bad humans out there. Jungkook knows, he had met plenty of bad people. He knows.

The sobbing becomes a loud cry. Jungkook’s legs start moving on their own until he hears a grunt. Coming out of a tent there is a walking dead. The boy seems to hear it too because he gets up, Jungkook expects him to use his bow again but instead he walks towards the zombie.

“Misun,” he whispers with a sweet voice.

Jungkook’s fast to move, he reaches into the back pocket of his trousers and pulls out a clasp knife, with a quick flick of the wrist he opens it. He lifts his arm back and throws it in front of him. The blade plunges into the living dead’s forehead with precision and soon after the zombie falls on the grass unmovingly. The boy gasps and turns to face him. Anger in his eyes.

“What did you do?” He shouts, “You killed her! I shouldn’t have trusted you, you’re a murder! You killed Ilsung too!” His eyes overflow with tears and his hands shake with rage.

“She was already dead!” Jungkook yells back. “She had already turned into a zombie and was going to eat you!”

“She... Misun wasn’t dead! She was walking, and you killed her!” He spits furiously while with his shaking hand he reaches behind his back to take his bow. He slips an arrow out of the quiver and points it at Jungkook.

“Stop, you’re confused right now.” Jungkook raises his hands in front of him and steps back.

“Stop talking!” The other barks, his brows are furrowed. He closes one eye to take aim to shoot.

“You lost your family and-“ Jungkook doesn’t get to finish. He doesn’t see the arrow, but he feels the air moving at his left. His cheek starts to sting. Jungkook thinks that he must’ve missed him, but then he hears a thump, and he turns just in time to see a living dead, barely two meters behind him, falling down with the arrow perfectly stuck in its head.

The boy throws the bow at his feet and falls to his knees again, sobbing. Jungkook attempts to approach him but he stops when the guy lifts his hand, palm facing Jungkook.

“Leave me alone,” he pleads. Jungkook’s about to speak when he adds, “please, just go away.”

So Jungkook turns on his steps, going back to where he came from. He reaches his motorbike and gets on. He doesn’t know what to do. Should he really leave him alone and go back? Should he forget him and live on? Should he allow him to die? He thinks about his hyungs. The boy seems to be able to fight for his life, he could come in handy. He’s a great shooter and he’s sure his hyungs wouldn’t complain to have into the group someone who can fight for himself. He looks around again and notices all around broken branches and multiple traces of tires on the soil, a shiver runs down his spine, how did he not see them before? When he turns the key in the ignition the motor roars to life. He drives towards the camp. At the sound of the engine the guy, who was still kneeling down and clutching the bow to his chest, raises his head.

“Get on,” Jungkook says, “I’ll bring you back home, to my home.”

As an answer he gets a shake of the head.

“I will not leave you here alone,” Jungkook can be stubborn when he wants to. He gets off the motorcycle and walks towards the fireplace. On his way he rips off the arrow from the corpse’s head and places it back in the quiver.

He goes to the zombie he killed before, Misun, and takes back his knife as well. He cleans it on his trousers where it leaves a blood stain and puts it back in his pocket. A glint of silver on her wrist catches Jungkook’s attention, but he doesn’t mention it.

The boy’s eyes follow him in every movement, they’re tired and red from all the crying he did. Jungkook’s places his hands under the boy’s armpits and lifts him up on his feet without encountering resistance. He gives a comforting pat on his shoulder and guides him to his bike. They both get on and Jungkook sprints away, slower than before. The boy encircles his hands around his stomach and rests his forehead in the middle of his shoulder blades.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Jungkook tries once they left the camp behind.

The guy shakes his head and Jungkook lets out the breath he was holding. They continue their ride back home in silence but when they pass by the city where they met Jungkook says, “You’ll like my hyungs, they’re great.”

This time the response is a simple hum.

Jungkook knows the roads on this path well, so he relaxes a little. They’re not too far. He starts to think about what he will tell his hyungs once they reach home. His fingers grip firmly at the backpack and he decides to speed up.

“A body was missing. I couldn’t find him.” The boy suddenly speaks, his voice muffled by Jungkook’s shirt.

Jungkook clutches his grip harder on the handlebar. “What’s his name?”

“Jimin.” He says in a whisper. “My brother Jimin.” He adds.

Jungkook knows the possibilities are endless. He may have turned and wandered around, may have escaped from the attackers or, the worse scenario, he may have been taken by those who attacked them. Yet Jungkook still wants the boy to hope for the best. A sigh escapes from the boy’s mouth as he starts crying silently again. Jungkook’s shirt is wet. He does not care, he’s almost home. He accelerates and lets the wind carry away the tears.

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Jungkook stops and kills the engine. The noise emitted by the cylinders slowly dies and silence engulfs them. He stretches his left leg and places his foot on the ground to stead the motorbike. He grazes the boy’s hand, still on his stomach, with his own palm gently. He doesn’t want to startle him.

“We arrived,” he announces with his voice small and waits.

He finally feels the body behind him shift, he moves his hands back freeing Jungkook from his grip. They both get off and Jungkook sends a quick glance over, his eyes are all puffy, swollen, and bloody red but he seems to have calmed down. Jungkook knows that forgetting is not something easy to do, especially when it concerns something or someone you have been emotionally tied to. He doesn’t want him to forget whom he loved and loves still, he just hopes for him to grow stronger and get past it, because the world, as it is now, is not a place where weaklings can survive.

“Is this… You live in an actual house?” He speaks after looking around the place. There isn’t much to look at, it’s just a deserted residential district in the suburbs of the city, with row houses that all resemble each other in every feature.

“Yeah, at least for this week. It’s nice to sleep on a real bed with a comfortable mattress after breaking your back sleeping on the ground,” Jungkook says with a shy laugh but then he notices the boy’s silence and furrowed brows, so he explains further. “We- me and my group tend not to stay still in a place for too long so we move. A lot. Like almost every week and this time we found this house. Its beds are like heaven after having slept on rocks for weeks.” He says tense. Maybe he said something too much, the boy’s group lived in tents after all. Jungkook is pondering on how he must be careful to what he says when his eyes catch a hint of a smile.

“It’s been ages since I last slept on a real bed,” he shrugs.

Jungkook lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding; he adjusts the backpack on his left shoulder and with his chin he nods towards the threshold. They quickly climb the few porch stairs and when they’re on the top Jungkook turns to face him, it feels oddly similar to bringing your first boyfriend to your house to meet you parents, except for the fact that he is not his boyfriend, his hyungs are not his parents and they’re in the midst of a zombie apocalypse.

“I’ll go in first, ok?” He says and starts to look around them at the deserted street. “If you see a zombie approaching you call us-“

“Or I kill it.”

“O-or you kill it, yeah pick the one you like best.” Jungkook slightly stammers and then turns back to the door, he puts his thumb and middle finger on his lips and he whistles, letting out a long and clear sound. He then puts his hand on the handle and twists it open, before entering he turns his head and gives the boy a reassuring smile.

He steps inside and closes the door behind him. The entrance is completely pitch dark and he has to blink a couple of times to adjust to the darkness, he furrows his brows and wonders why his hyungs aren’t already there waiting for him. Could it be possible that they hadn’t heard the whistle he made before?

“Jungkook! Guys came out, Jungkook’s back!” He hears his hyung scream, he looks up to where the voice came from and he sees Yoongi on top of the stairs with his shotgun pointed at the door.

Pointed at Jungkook’s head.

Soon two different doors open, illuminating the room, just as Yoongi starts to come down the stairs.

“Jungkookie!” Hoseok says before engulfing him in the tightest hug ever, Jungkook smiles when he feels the older’s hair tickle his nose.

“Kook, you’re back.” Taehyung says getting closer, he puts a hand on his shoulder and squeezes it.

Jungkook’s grin becomes even wider and he nods. “I’m home.”

“Why did it take you so long to get back? We were worried something had happened to you, Jungkook.” Yoongi says and begins to softly stroke Jungkook’s head with affection.

Hoseok snickers at that. “Yeah, we thought Yoongi hyung was on the verge of going crazy.” He says hitting Taehyung’s arm jokingly.

“As if you hadn’t threatened to leave and go look for him at least every half hour.” Taehyung says this time, rolling his eyes.

“I was seriously considering tying you to a chair with a rope,” Yoongi adds with a sigh.

“Kinky.” Hoseok says with the straightest face ever and after a second of silence they all burst into loud laughs.

“Something came up, but I’ve got the medicines. All kinds of meds there were in that pharmacy actually,” he says taking off the backpack and handing it to Yoongi. “How’s Namjoon hyung?”

Taehyung shrugs. “Always the same, he’s sleeping upstairs now.”

Jungkook looks down at the carpet under his feet and silence falls between them all.

“Jungkook-ah you must be tired and we’re still standing in the corridor, let’s head-” Yoongi says, clapping his hands together just one time seeking everyone’s attention.

“I-, uh, I met someone…”

Everyone’s face become serious and they look at Jungkook with urgency. “Are you ok?” Yoongi asks gripping at his elbow, when Jungkook nods he turns and continues, “Let’s talk in the kitchen, follow me.” He says stern while pulling the younger behind himself.

Jungkook frees his elbow with a not-violent tug and opens the door, showing the guy to his hyungs, whose eyes dart quickly from him to Jungkook repeatedly until they finally set on the bow resting behind the boy’s shoulders. Jungkook’s trained eyes are cable to catch everyone’s fast movements, and he’s sure the boy did too. While Yoongi remained immobile in his position, Taehyung pulled his hunting knife out of his hoodie’s sleeve while Hoseok even if imperceptibly placed himself closer to Jungkook in a protective gesture and put his hand over the pocket where his handgun is resting.

“Hi.” He simply says, his voice trembles a little but not because of fear. What remains of the crying is still visible on his face, his eyes are still swollen, and the skin of his nose is irritated because of the continuous rubbing. Talk about first impression.

Jungkook gently pushes Hoseok’s hand away from the gun and tries to smile despite the palpable tension. “He is-,“ he starts to introduce the boy then he remembers he doesn’t know his name so he gets closer to him and whispers lightly. “Hey what’s your name?”

“Seokjin.” He whispers back quickly.

“Mines Jungkook.” He keeps murmuring.

“I know, I heard.” He says, his voice still small.

“He’s Seokjin and I met him inside the pharmacy.” Jungkook starts again from where he left before as if nothing had happened and turns to his left to face his hyungs, waiting for a response.

“Taehyung.” Yoongi says and receives a hum as an answer. “Stay here. Hoseok, you take him to the kitchen.” He finishes and then he himself starts walking to where the kitchen is located.

Both Jungkook’s and Seokjin’s bodies tense. Jungkook doesn’t understand why they want to bring Seokjin to the kitchen, if they wanted to ask him questions, they could have done it here, but then he sees Taehyung put back the weapon he was holding while showing a bright smile towards Seokjin. Jungkook then feels Hoseok’s hand gripping the nape of his neck and pulling him to the kitchen leaving the other two at the entrance. Damn. So they decided to kill him, uh.

They enter in the room and Hoseok lets him go, giving a little and soft push forward. The door slams shut behind him and then Hoseok reaches Yoongi’s side, they’re both standing in front of him. But while Yoongi has his arms crossed over his chest and is face is devoid of any emotion, unreadable, Hoseok places both of his hands, palm flat, on the marble surface of the kitchen island, he’s looking at him and his mouth is curled in a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. Curiously, the latter is the one who scares Jungkook the most.

“Jungkook,” Yoongi breaks the silence first with a frustrated sigh.

“Hyung,” Jungkook interrupts him. “You don’t understand. I had to help him he-,” he says in a rushed tone.

“Jungkook, you brought an outsider to our home. You exposed our group to danger. You don’t know him-“

“He’s not a stranger I know him!” Jungkook argues determinedly, stomping his feet on the white tiles of the kitchen’s floor.

Yoongi raises a skeptical eyebrow at that. “You know him? Less than five minutes ago you didn’t even know his first name! Please enlighten me on your new best friend’s age, likes and dislikes.”

“I-“ Jungkook says a little taken aback. It is true that he doesn’t know Seokjin, but that doesn’t mean that he should be considered as a threat for their family, because even though he doesn’t know what his favourite colour is or which fruit he dislikes he knows that he is a good person, he says so to his hyungs.

“You are still too naïve,” his hyung says pointing a finger at him and raising his voice, the calm from before long lost. Jungkook rolls his eyes when he realises that the conversation is turning in another scolding session. “And don’t you do that, you can’t trust a person you’ve just met, not in the kind of world we’re currently living in.”

“Enough hyung.” Hoseok finally speaks up and puts his hand on the older’s shoulder in a way to calm him down. He then turns his head to face Jungkook and he sees that he’s still smiling, a chill runs down Jungkook’s spine. He’s glad that the kitchen island is dividing them. “What hyung said is true, Jungkook.” He says and this time Jungkook remains still and his eyes fall down to look at his feet. “I know you have a big heart that is inclined to help everyone, and I won’t blame you for that. What I want you to understand is that you exposed our family to a possible risk.”

Jungkook’s eyes snap up. “He’s not a threat.” He repeats again and he hears Yoongi huffing annoyed.

“Could you tell us why you think that way? What did he do that made him win your trust?”

Jungkook thinks about his first encounter with Seokjin, when he seemed so terrified to face another human, how he broke down in front of him at the mention that his friend was dead and how he regained his composure immediately after, showing his cold blood and ability with his weapon. Jungkook realises then that he was not the only one, Seokjin had straightaway trusted him too. In few hours Seokjin had showed him so many sides of himself, the frailest one as well as the strongest, and Jungkook had felt an instant connection with the boy.

“He killed a zombie that I didn’t notice was right behind me. He saved my life when he could have left it bite me,” he says gulping down loudly. He remembers well how the arrow that Seokjin had pointed at him, and that he was sure it was going to be the last thing he would see, suddenly changed direction.

Hoseok’s smile finally reaches his eyes that turn into crescents and he nods with his face, satisfied with the response Jungkook gave.

“How do you know it’s not a trap and that his group is not going to attack us first thing in the morning?” Yoongi asks still mistrustful about the whole situation, but Jungkook’s not annoyed by it. He understands his hyung’s longing to keep their family safe.

“His group was exterminated by some sick people. He’s alone now,” he says and sees how both of his hyung’s facial expressions soften at the same time, so he’s encouraged to continue. “I thought-“

A series of screeches interrupts him, the words he was about to say die in his throat.

“It’s Namjoon!” Hoseok screams but the yell is not high enough to cover the screeches.

“Fuck!” Yoongi curses and then in a flash they are out the kitchen and running up the stairs.

Jungkook can feel his heart beating fast in his chest, he has noticed how there is no trace of Seokjin nor Taehyung where they left them, and he’s suddenly afraid to admit that the trust he had in Seokjin was unfounded. He swears, when he reaches the second floor and he can hear that the screams are getting louder, that whoever is making his hyung shout like that will not live long enough to see another day.

Yoongi is the first one to reach the room Namjoon’s currently in. Jungkook curses under his breath when with his hip he bangs against a glass vase and he catches the noise it makes while crashing on the ground. As he gets near the room he realises he doesn’t have his axe with him and mentally blames his hastiness for it. Namjoon’s yells gradually become clearer to his ear, so he can finally figure out what’s going on.

“Zombies! They’re here to eat me! Someone save me please!” Namjoon frenetically cries for help.

Jungkook can hear his heartbeat ringing in his ears as he enters the room, and full on adrenaline and unarmed he looks around fiercely looking for the undead, but he finds none. On the floor there aren’t traces of blood and the room’s clean, no suggestion of a fight going on. The two missing individuals, Taehyung and Seokjin, are completely paralysed on the spot with their faces turned towards the leader that has got up and is sitting now on the bed with his back resting on the bedpost. The poor man has never stopped screaming and trashing on the bed in the meantime.

“Zombiesh, zombiesh at the window want to eat me!” He repeats again with his eyes open wide and his index pointing in front of him toward the only window in the room, Jungkook notices that his speech has become excessively slurred.

Yoongi and Hoseok waste no more time, rushing to the closed window armed respectively with shotgun and hunting knife. Jungkook’s legs move too but to a completely different direction. With long strides he is in front of Seokjin. Quickly he grabs him by the collar of his sweatshirt and yanks him one, two, three times. The boy’s terrorized eyes set on him, Jungkook pauses for a split second only and feels his grip loosen on the piece of cloth.

“What have you done to him?” He roars anyway. “I shouldn’t have trusted a stranger, I shouldn’t have brought you home!” He shouts out of anger and frustration.

A big hand settles on his chest and suddenly he’s jerked back. “Jungkook stop! Seokjin did nothing! We heard the screams all of sudden, so we came up here just few seconds before you and the hyungs!” Taehyung states while standing between the two and successfully separating them.

Jungkook searches for Seokjin’s eyes over Taehyung’s shoulder, when he finds them already staring back at him, he studies them looking for a single quiver that tells him that what he just heard isn’t the truth.

“There aren’t zombies here,” Hoseok interrupts the exchange.

“For now,” Yoongi continues. “They’ll be soon attracted by the screams if Namjoon keeps on yelling like this. We must stop him now.” He declares stern, moving to the center of the room. “Any suggestions on how to do it?”

No one speaks, everyone’s eyes just roam around the room and settle on every person present. The silence does not last long since Namjoon’s cries for help start again even stronger than before.

“We can’t tape his mouth shut, can we?”

“Of course we can’t, besides it wouldn’t work.”

“What about knocking him out cold?”

“Do not even think about it, what if he gets badly hurt by it?”

Jungkook zones out of the conversation for a while. His mind goes back to several years ago when his life was still normal and he was part of the judo club. One of his high school classmates, whose face nor name he can remember, taught him about body’s pressure points, one of them was supposed to shut you out, like a light bulb. If only he could fucking remember where that place to press was, maybe Namjoon could hopefully stop screaming and perhaps rest for a while. Right, Namjoon needed to sleep if they wanted him to stop yelling like a madman. Sleep. Suddenly he gets an idea.

“The fucking bag,” he whispers under his breath. “Where’s my backpack? The one I brought back with the medicines inside?” He asks aloud this time as he begins to look around the room.

“We left it downstairs, at the foot of the stairs. Why?” Taehyung tells him.

“I’m pretty sure I grabbed a sedative in that pharmacy among all things, we could use it to make Namjoon hyung calm down and sleep.” He exposes his idea to his hyungs, Yoongi nods relieved.

“No!” Someone screeches and all of their heads spin towards the voice. Seokjin, who had previously isolated himself from the discussion, was standing at the foot of Namjoon’s bed, his horrified eyes were pointed at Jungkook’s face as if he had abruptly grown two heads. However, he had both of his hands covering his mouth as if he had realized too late to have shrieked even louder than Namjoon.

“What do you mean Seokjin? Do you have a better option?” Tries asking Taehyung, his eyes bright with hope.

The boy, now at the centre of everyone’s attention, starts torturing his lower lip while his face assumes a conflicted expression, probably carefully evaluating his next answer. “I—I don’t have one,” he lowly admits while still biting into his lip.

From behind Jungkook comes a loud sigh. “If you don’t then please refrain from interrupting and hindering us.” Yoongi spits bitterly. He’s visibly worried for the whole situation going on and now he is also annoyed for Seokjin’s intermeddle in their own group affairs. It’s a miracle if he still hasn’t lost his temper and shouted at him.

If he has to be honest, Jungkook was starting to feel the same way.

“Jungkook go downstairs and grab the backpack, you will sedate Namjoon. The deads will arrive sooner than we expect so Taehyung and Hoseok grab your weapons and get ready to go outside and kill some fuckers, I will be on the roof covering your backs with my shotgun.” Yoongi orders them around and immediately all of them sprint into action like bees following the queen’s requests. Hoseok and Taehyung get downstairs first because Yoongi stops Jungkook in his tracks by grabbing his arm. “You stay here with Seokjin. Protect Namjoon.” Yoongi whispers in his ear, Jungkook nods firmly.

Then Jungkook runs downstairs and recovers his backpack in seconds, luckily, besides it lying on the floor he finds his forgotten axe, he takes it with him too. Standing in front of the main entrance’s door there are Taehyung and Hoseok armed respectively with an old baseball bat and a rusty machete, the two share a fist bump with each other and both turn to show their faces adorned with big smiles at Jungkook. When the latter doesn’t smile back at them Taehyung just rises an eyebrow and with a swift movement rests the bat on his shoulder while Hoseok sends him a wink and says, “We’ll see each other later, right Jungkook-ah?” It’s only when Jungkook nods in affirmation that Hoseok turns back again and heads outside on the porch.

Jungkook is back in Namjoon’s room quickly after sending his hyungs off, he hurriedly spills the backpack’s contents on the moquette and starts scanning through them while looking for a sedative between all the drugs he retrieved in the pharmacy. Only when he finds the flacon that he was looking for he tumbles over to the bed and finally realizes that his hyung had long stopped form spouting no sense. To his surprise he finds instead Seokjin kneeled on the side of the matrass with one of his hands holding tightly Namjoon’s while the other is gently caressing his cheek.

Jungkook stands immobilized in place. “What-“ He tries to speak but stops himself when he realizes that Seokjin is also whispering something at his hyung. He then decides to get closer so he will maybe be able to make out his words.

“Namjoon, please look at me.” Seokjin says in a hushed but gentle voice, still stroking his cheek with his dainty hand successfully making Namjoon divert his crazy gaze from the window to his face. “Like this, good. Nice to meet you Namjoon, my name is Seokjin and I will help you, ok?” Namjoon looks at him strangely, he is obviously still out of his mind but at the same time he is visibly calmer now. Whatever is it that Seokjin is doing it’s working, sometimes Namjoon’s pupils dilatate and fixate on something behind the window’s glass, but Seokjin’s voice murmuring comforting words relaxes and calms him down again in an heartbeat.

Jungkook comes out of his trance and finally finds again the words that had previously died in his throat. “I have the sedative.” He speaks, showing proudly the little bottle of brown glass that he’s holding at the other.

“That’s phenobarbital.” Seokjin informs him, unfazed, after sparing a quick glance at the flacon in his hands. Jungkook expectantly waits for him to elaborate on the statement, Seokjin slightly rolls his eyes. “Phenobarbital is used to control seizures, only.”

“I can look for more sedatives, there should be others between the drugs. I know there are.” He speaks hurriedly while scanning through the remaining medicines scattered on the floor before he is interrupted.

“Jungkook stop, you’re panicking. I need you to help me now so calm down please.” Seokjin says sternly even though his voice is still laced with gentleness and understanding. This time when he speaks, he looks directly at him and his big almond eyes pin Jungkook down on the spot. “Forget about the sedatives for the time being, it’s easy to misuse them and the side effects they can cause may be worse for Namjoon’s health than this right now. We should keep them as our last resource.”

Jungkook is speechless at the other’s knowledge which seems to come literally out of nowhere. However, the confidence in Seokjin’s tone convinces him to follow his orders, so he just nods and gulps down the knot clogging his throat. Realizes that he was in fact almost on the verge of a panic attack. “What can I do to help?”

“Come here.” Seokjin says, a small appreciative smile appearing on his lips. He taps with his hand the spot next to him on the moquette. “Take my place and hold him to calm him down.”

Jungkook carefully circles the bed and kneels on the floor when Seokjin stands up, occupying his previous place. He gingerly grabs Namjoon’s fingers, he can feel his hyung’s hand shaking in his so he squeezes slightly his palm and whispers, “Hyung it’s me, Jungkook, can you recognize me?” He looks at him expectantly, but his determination dies down each second that passes without receiving an answer back.

“He can’t, not now at least. The state of shock he is in will not let him focus on the present time. But at least he stopped screaming and seeing things, mh?” Seokjin is the one who responds to Jungkook instead, in an attempt to cheer him up maybe? It doesn’t help much but Jungkook appreciates the thought. Once Seokjin kneels again on the floor, he puts his fingers under his chin and starts muttering something under his breath. Jungkook thinks that he’s just reading the labels on the drugs’ boxes, so he doesn’t question Seokjin about it. His eyes fix on the silver sticking out of Seokjin’s sleeve though.

He glances back at Namjoon who has finally closed his eyes, his breathing still elaborated but considerably quieter, while is forehead is covered in pearls of sweat. “What are you looking for?” He asks then, curiosity getting the best of him.

Seokjin closes his mouth. “I don’t know yet,” he answers after a beat, “but you will help me figure it out.”

“Me?” Jungkook answers bewildered, pointing a finger at himself. He doesn’t see how he can make himself useful in this situation, except for holding Namjoon’s hand.

“Yes Jungkook, you.” Seokjin scoffs. “Who else? Just answer my questions with what you know and remember, all right?” Jungkook nods and gulps down at Seokjin’s harsh tone. Seokjin seems resolute but content with Jungkook’s affirmative response. He crosses his legs and sits on the floor in a relaxed manner despite his straight back. “When did Namjoon start feeling sick?”

“Last night.” Jungkook replies right away, he remembers the utter terror in Hoseok’s eyes when Namjoon passed out just before dinner. They all gathered around him, only one question in their minds. Is he infected? Yoongi was the first brave enough to move into action, crouching down to Namjoon’s consciousness body and stripping him down. They had inspected his body for traces of a bite or maybe nails scrapes, the scratches always showed the turning symptoms later than the bites. They all let out a relieved sigh when they found none. Put on his clothes again and moved him to the bed.

Seokjin nods, contemplative. “Does he have any particular pathology? Does he suffer from seizures or things as such?”

Jungkook opens his mouth but then he closes it again. “I’m not sure,” he whispers. “He never told us anything, but he has never acted this way or felt this sick since I met him.”

Seokjin nods again, he tilts forward and starts arranging the medicines in front of him. He removes a big number from the pile and puts them again inside the backpack. “We don’t need those,” he explains his actions when Jungkook probably had started staring at him unknowing. “Ok, next question. What did he do before falling sick?”

“He went to scour the area around the house for zombies roaming around.” As they always do, Jungkook thinks. Killing them before they get too close. “Yesterday he was on duty with Taehyung.” Jungkook adds.

“Where did he go? The woods I saw behind the house or the neighbourhood?”

Jungkook frowns his brows, trying to remember who was assigned to what. He then remembers Taehyung barging inside the house and screaming something with the drama filled tone he always uses when he’s feeling particularly betrayed. Jungkook was in the living room, busy sharpening the axe blade with the thick spine of a knife and forced his ears to deafen out the cries. On his way inside Taehyung had, fortunately, ignored the living room to reach the kitchen instead where Hoseok, poor sacrificial lamb, was. If he squeezes his brain, he can make out some words Taehyung whined to him. “The woods, I think.”

Seokjin maintains his intense gaze, before his eyes move to Namjoon’s face and then back to the remaining medicines on the floor. He divides them in two groups, and then nods to himself. “What did you all do after he, I assume, returned here and then fainted?”

“You’re right, he fainted as soon as he came back.” Jungkook says baffled. “We- Yoongi checked for a bite.” Seokjin nods. “He’s not infected!” Jungkook squeals before Seokjin can assume that his hyung is turning and they must kill him.

Seokjin rises both hands up in front of him. “I know he’s not, don’t worry.” He assures gently. “Can you recall anything else, Jungkook? Maybe Namjoon said or tried to say something before he lost consciousness.”

“He said ‘I’m home’, and-“ Jungkook starts, trying to remember the blurry events that occurred last night. He glances down at Namjoon’s crumpling up expression as he probably has a nightmare. He might also be in severe pain, Jungkook’s brain suggests. “-and then he was suddenly falling down.” All of a sudden Namjoon’s eyes shoot open and plant themselves on Jungkook’s face. He jumps back, falling on his butt and letting Namjoon’s hand go. The previous action repeats itself, Namjoon using his finger to point at the window and speaking nonsense. Jungkook notices that his slurred speech got worse, now he can’t even make out a single word he’s yelling.

Seokjin, too, sprints up with a tube of pills in his hand. Jungkook looks at him scared. His mind a mixture of confusion, panicked from the events of the past few hours. It keeps going back in the past and with difficulty it comes back to the present. Back at Namjoon’s last words, I’m home, when they all gathered at the entrance to welcome him. Taehyung looking pissed at him, his arms crossed in front of his chest and lips in a pout, where’s our share?, he had asked. Namjoon by response scraped the back of his head and smiled brightly before collapsing. The outline of his mouth covered in faint blue and purple hues.

“Berry.” Jungkook mutters under his breath.

It all comes back to him. Taehyung nagging and whining at Hoseok. He ate them all! Hoseok had laughed in front of a desperate Taehyung. He knows that blueberries are one of my favourite fruits! Hoseok laughing again, Taehyung scoffing at his indifference and barging inside the living room. Jungkook-ah he had started; I don’t care about your love quarrel with Namjoon hyung, Jungkook had said straight to the point. I hate this family! Taehyung had cried annoyed and had theatrically raised his arms up at the ceiling. Aww I love you too Taehyungie!! Hoseok’s voice had come from another room.

“Seokjin!” Jungkook shrieks. “Blueberries! Namjoon ate blueberries!” He almost screams.

Seokjin’s mouth falls open. “Oh.” Seokjin blinks a few times. “Of fucking course,” he mutters as he drops the pills he was holding. He turns back and crouches to pick up a new box of medications. “Jungkook, hold Namjoon down.” He orders then.

Jungkook nods even though Seokjin can’t see him, he starts with gripping both of his hyung’s arms, not without difficulty he manages to pin them down. Namjoon hasn’t stopped trashing on the bed since he woke up. Jungkook has to use all his power and weight to immobilize him, he breathes hard and has drops of sweat on his forehead by the time Seokjin turns again. This time he’s holding a petite glass flacon. With his thumb he breaks its cap and only then Jungkook realizes Seokjin is also holding a syringe in his left hand.

“What are you doing?” He asks out of breath when the liquid inside the flacon has been completely sucked up inside the syringe.

“An injection,” Seokjin scowls at him while tugging Namjoon’s sweater sleeve up his forearm until it’s folded over his shoulder. With a swift- and what Jungkook can only describe as expert- movement he sticks the needle into his skin and empties it, injecting the liquid inside his system.

Namjoon widens his eyes in panic when he’s stung with the syringe, kicks with his legs, begging to let him go so Jungkook has to use all his strength to restrain him, he hugs him thigh. “Hyung, it’s ok. You’re gonna feel better soon.” He whispers at him with the calmest tone he can muster. It’s actually a lie, Jungkook doesn’t know shit. A beat passes, then two, then three. Jungkook feels Namjoon’s body giving up under him, so he slowly loosens his grip around his torso.

“Ngh,” Namjoon exhales. He quickly blinks a few times while glancing at the ceiling. “J-guh.” He mutters.

“I’m here hyung!” Jungkook answers promptly and grabs his hand again. Namjoon smiles this time and squeezes Jungkook’s hand back before passing out again. Jungkook eyes search Seokjin’s for answers.

“He’s only sleeping don’t worry.” Seokjin assures him, he then turns and starts tiding up the mess that’s on the floor.

Jungkook’s relieve is immense. His legs give out and he falls with his knees on the floor. “What was inside the flacon?” Jungkook asks as he feels his face’s muscles relax and the tension on his shoulders decrease a lot.

“Physostigmine,” Seokjin articulates with confidence the complicated word, foreign to Jungkook.

Jungkook blinks, his lips tilting down in a frown. “A sedative?” He asks confused.

Seokjin shakes his head. “Physostigmine is used to reverse the effects of certain drugs that interfere with the nerve-muscle communication. Substances such as atropine, scopolamine and belladonna.”

“And Namjoon has...” Jungkook gesticulates with his hand in the air, “…one of those?”

“I’m pretty sure he mistook belladonna berries for blueberries and ate them. The berries are round, small and black just like blueberries and taste somewhat sweet.”

“And they’re poisonous too?” Jungkook guesses.

Seokjin nods. “Belladonna. In Italian it means “beautiful lady.” It is also widely known as deadly nightshade, a beautiful flower with toxic side effects known to cause psychosis and even death.” He recites the definition as if he had just read it from a botanic manual or searched it on Google.

“Death?!” Jungkook jumps up alarmed and looks at Namjoon again.

“The symptoms of belladonna poisoning include dilated pupils, blurred vision, tachycardia, loss of balance, headache, slurred speech, confusion, hallucinations and convulsions.” Seokjin continues, not caring about Jungkook’s interruption. He lists the symptoms by heart. “I should have recognized them sooner, how daft of me.” He tsks and then clicks his tongue.

“How do you know all this?” Jungkook asks him. “Are you a scout or something?” Seokjin freezes in his motions, he slowly turns and holds Jungkook’s gaze for a few seconds. He then adverts his gaze and starts playing with his fingers, Jungkook’s breath’s hitches. After a pause Jungkook takes a deep breath and says cautiously. “You’re a do-“

“Last year of college, never got to graduate.” Seokjin admits quickly in one breath. “I think you should go outside and help your hyungs.” He adds urgently soon after.

“Yeah!” Jungkook jumps on his feet. He grabs his axe from the floor. “You’ll watch over Namjoon?” He asks when he is almost outside of the room. He sees Seokjin nod and in seconds he’s outside on the street.

He doesn’t have the time to think about what was just revealed because the first thing he sees is Taehyung being surrounded by a group of living deads. He is swaying his old baseball bat around hitting on their heads zombie after zombie. There’s already a pile of corpses forming at his feet.

Jungkook moves his head around until he finds Hoseok too. His machete’s blade cutting deep into a zombies’s neck, droplets of black blood hit his whole face, Jungkook grimaces. Hoseok yanks his machete back and the zombie falls lifeless on the concrete. In the split of second he uses to catch his breath, he manages to find Jungkook with his eyes. When he spots him Hoseok’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. He waves his hand at Jungkook in greeting and opens his mouth to say something.

Jungkook sees immediately the living dead coming from his hyung’s back, its jaw wide open and dead eyes landing on Hoseok’s arm. Jungkook is about to shout when a bullet is fired, and it plants precisely in the zombie’s forehead between its eyes. Jungkook turns his head back to the house and Yoongi nods at him with his chin in greeting while loading his gunshot back. He’s sitting on the top of the rooftop. With his index he points at Taehyung and Jungkook nods in agreement.

Following his hyung’s orders Jungkook dives right inside the group of zombies Taehyung is dealing with. He hits and pushes. Kills everything that stops in front of him until he manages to finally reach his hyung. He turns around until they’re back to back. It’s only when their shoulders touch that Taehyung acknowledges his presence.

“Jungkookie,” he pants, smile evident in his voice despite his breathing being laboured. He smashes his bat on the head of a zombie, successfully breaking its skull. “Fourteenth.” He whispers under his breath before passing at the next undead.

Jungkook rolls his eyes while he brings his axe down and plants it in the living dead’s neck in front of him. “Who did you bet with this time? Yoongi-hyung?”

“Hoseokie-hyung too. I need to win this one Jungkookie.” Taehyung breathes out and dries the sweat on his forehead with his sleeve. “Please leave and go help Hoseokie instead. I got this.” He says serious.

“Yoongi-hyung told me to come here, that he’s got Hoseok-hyung’s back covered-“

“Of fucking course he did. They want me to lose,” he whines while he hits hard the next undead that approaches him. He stops to catch his breath and turns his head to look at Jungkook. “Whoever kills more will have the burning duty.” He smirks. “So I’m kinda all fired up,” he says snorting at his own joke.

Jungkook grimaces at the news, and scoffs at the pun. “Whatever, I’m staying here.” He affirms.

“Do what you want.” He feels Taehyung shrugging his shoulders. “But don’t get into my way and don’t kill my zombies,” he says teasingly.

Jungkook scoffs and laughs a little. He turns his head just in time to see Taehyung open his mouth and then shut it again. “Namjoon is fine,” he says because Jungkook knows Taehyung wanted to ask but hesitated until now because he was scared to hear the answer. “Seokjin’s watching over him.” Taehyung’s shoulders sag in relief, he nods and smiles. Jungkook sees his hyung tighten his grip on the baseball bat so Jungkook does the same with his axe.

“Sixteenth!” Taehyung screams at the top of his lungs, stepping forward and charging at his next target, the baseball bat risen over his head.

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The wooden axes, of which the porch’s stairs are made, creak under his weight as he climbs them while removing the makeshift mask he had previously put on. The acre smell of rotten burned bodies still lingers in the air and on his clothes. He scrunches his nose at the foul smell and while tossing the cloth mask away he decides to take off his jacket too before entering the house, to keep their temporary home stench free for a bit longer. He carefully folds the jacket and places it on the porch’s rail, he likes it so he will probably wash it the next day. He drops the blood covered axe on the ground and sighs, he will have to clean that too. Inside, on the other side of the door, Hoseok is guarding the entrance but his face does not let out any alarm when he sees him entering.

“Jungkook-ah! Why did it take you so long? Taehyungie came home long ago already.” He asks.

Jungkook shrugs, “I stayed behind to make certain everything went smoothly.” He concedes. Burning dead zombies’ bodies is not his favourite duty, but it keeps the streets free, the diseases from spreading and the rancid smell of decomposing bodies away, so it is something inevitable to do. However, Taehyung was kind of a fire hazard so whenever they had this duty together Jungkook always stayed behind to check that the pyre they make does not expand and develop into a fire that could harm them all.

As if Hoseok had read his mind he speaks, “Well, Taehyung has always had arsonist tendencies so I’m glad you decided to go with him in the first place.” He grins and ruffles Jungkook’s hair, who, as a response, swats immediately his hand away. Hoseok begins then to sniff the air a bit and then brings that same hand under his nose. “Ack! You’re stinker than a skunk!”

Jungkook feels instantly mortified by the exclamation, but he still answers back. “It’s not like I went outside to pick flowers! I was burning bodies hyung.” He says trying at the same time to defend his state of stench and honour.

“I know, I know. Hyung’s sorry I was just making fun of you.” Hoseok admits laughing. “I said the same to Taehyungie before, but he just shrugged and went upstairs, seriously, you’re too easy to rile up.” He mocks him while chuckling and pretending to catch an unshed tear just for the drama of it. Jungkook huffs annoyed and turns to go upstairs and check on Namjoon when Hoseok stops him again. “There’s a basin with fresh water in the kitchen, go wash your face first, mh?”

“F-fresh water?” Jungkook splutters in bewilderment, shock must be evident on his face, in fact Hoseok starts laughing again at his dumb expression. “Hyung…” He starts, his voice becoming sweet with gratitude.

“Before you say something stupid,” he interrupts him. “Like building me a shrine or some ridiculous shit.” Jungkook closes his mouth, that is exactly what he had wanted to say. “Go thank Yoongi. He is the one who got down the riverbank to get it to you. He knows of your passionate hatred towards the dirt, which Jungkook, I understand I really do, but let me tell you. We are in the middle of an apocalypse don’t you think you could at least let it go a little? Jungkook! You need! To embrace! The filth!” Hoseok ends up screaming the last sentences since Jungkook is already long gone, having sprinted towards the kitchen.

Inside the room he finds his other two hyungs, Yoongi and Taehyung, eating respectively one with his ass resting on the kitchen counter while his legs swing in mid air whereas Taehyung is sitting on the floor, his legs crossed. When they see Jungkook entering they stop chewing, talking and maybe even breathing. They both just look at him, tension immediately filling up the air. Jungkook decides he will ask about it later when he is crisp clean, so he makes a beeline straight to the bowl with water.

He wets his hands and crouches down, his head only few centimetres from the plastic basin. When he splashes water on his face a grunt of satisfaction leaves his mouth, he starts immediately washing his face powerfully. He cannot resist the urge so soon after he is also wetting his hair even though it’s freezing outside, and he could get sick. He scrapes down at the scalp, washing away the dirt, he does not have soap so only water will have to do. When he feels enough clean, he starts shaking his head like a dog drying its fur, sending water drops everywhere. It is only when he is done with his ministrations and his long damp hair have fallen in front of his eyes that Yoongi finally speaks up, breaking the veil of silence that only then Jungkook realises had followed from his appearance in the room.

“You lost, gimme that package of instant ramyun you found last week Taehyung-ah,” he says smirking and crossing his arms on his chest in an arrogant manner. But on the other hand, Taehyung groans in response while covering his face with his arm in desperation.

“What did you two bet on, this time?” Jungkook asks unfazed, this was in fact a recurring occurrence in their lives.

“Whether you would first wash up or eat something when you entered the kitchen,” Yoongi proudly explains. “You can guess on which one Taehyung bet.”

“So Tae-hyung put at stake the pack of ramyun he’s been keeping near his pillow at night in fear that someone would steal it, am I right?” Yoongi nods, while the loser wails at his lost treasure. “And you hyung? Don’t tell me you bet on your precious can of cold brew coffee you’ve been keeping for special occasions?” He asks curious.

“Jungkook. I’m not crazy, yet.” He says seriously, “I didn’t bet anything since I knew I would win.” He grins evilly, but Taehyung gasps dramatically.

“That’s not fair!” He accuses, feeling cheated on.

“It is,” Yoongi replies calmly. “When I returned home with the water you were the first to approach me and say ‘hyung wanna bet my packet of ramyun that Jungkook’s gonna eat something before using that?’ and I agreed.” He says lowering his tone to imitate Taehyung’s way to talk. Taehyung furrows his eyebrows, maybe trying to remember if the scene really went that way or if he is being fooled by Yoongi again. “You didn’t ask for anything back, that’s on you. Do not look at me like that Taehyung. Taehyung. Whatever we can share the ramyun.” Yoongi easily concedes at the end.

For a split second Jungkook asks himself what the point is to bet when it’s always going to end this way with these two. However, he won’t meddle in their dynamics, also if has to be honest, he doesn’t care that much. “Namjoon-hyung and Seokjin? Where are they?” He lastly asks.

“Both upstairs, Namjoonie-hyung was still sleeping when I went to check up on him, he has finally stopped sweating.” Taehyung informs him.

“Has Seokjin eaten something?” Jungkook asks this time, while grabbing a can of beans for himself to eat.

“He hasn't come downstairs yet. He didn’t leave Namjoon’s room at all, so I don’t think he has.” Yoongi admits, like he is realising it too just now. Jungkook’s eyebrows jump up in surprise, he goes back on his steps and also grabs a glass jar of canned fruit, he turns it in his hand and the label reads, ‘peaches in syrup’. He grimaces at the can. “What about the fire, did it stay in its conscripted area?” Yoongi asks him to which Juungkook answers with a nod that is immediately followed by an irritated click of a tongue, both of their heads spin towards Taehyung. “What did you even do before the apocalypse remains a mystery to me,” Yoongi sighs in disbelief.

“I was in a gang; I’ve already told you a million times.” Taehyung says tone stable, face serious. Jungkook knows already where the conversation is going, so he is fast on his feet to fleet from the room and go upstairs, not before grabbing an extra spoon for Seokjin.

“We found you and you had crocs at your feet!”

“Don’t bring my crocs into this!” They keep on arguing even after Jungkook has left.

Jungkook climbs the stairs carefully while balancing the two cans of food and the spoons in his hands, the food wasn’t much and they each were allowed only two cans at day, the beans one was already his second, but he grabbed the other one for Seokjin, assuming they could share them. He furrows his brows, he doesn’t know if Seokjin even ate something at all today, he shrugs guessing he would willingly give both of them to him if that turned out to be the case.

When he reaches the top of the stairs his eyes automatically adjust in the dark, he takes a turn to the left and gets to Namjoon’s room from memory. He’s surprised when he realises that the room too is in complete darkness even though there should be a torch in each one of the rooms. Maybe the batteries don’t work anymore, he reasons. He hears the soft snores of his hyung but doesn’t hear any sound coming from Seokjin. He wants to call his name, but at the same time he doesn’t want to wake Namjoon up, maybe Seokjin isn’t even in this room anymore. He’s about to leave and go look for him in the next one when his eyes catch a figure standing at the window. He abruptly takes a step back, the screams for help are already at the base of his throat when his brain finally realises that no, that is not a living dead.

Seokjin stands there, in front of the window, looking outside. From behind Jungkook can’t see his face, or the expression he has on his features. One of his hands is resting on the window pane and his back is a bit curved in front, like he’s looking at something outside, or looking for someone, his brain suggests unprompted. However what Jungkook is really looking at is the silhouette in front of him, whose curves are accentuated by the moonlight that filters through the window and creates a pale aura around Seokjin’s figure.

He finds the scene ethereal and suddenly the silence is too much, he can’t stand it anymore, but at the same time he doesn’t find in himself the courage to be the one to break it. He wishes Namjoon snores were louder, or that Yoongi and Taehyung’s arguing could be heard from upstairs or maybe that Hoseok appeared from somewhere laughing at him, making fun of the state he’s in. But that doesn’t happen. What it takes to disrupt the deafen silence is a drop of water. Which falls from Jungkook’s still damp hair directly on his neck. Shivers run down his spine from the cold, or maybe not because of that. Suddenly he is dropping the damn can of beans which falls with a thud on the moquette that does little to muffle the metallic noise.

“Fuck,” Jungkook breaths out while squatting down to retrieve the tin can which he hopes is still full of its contents.

At the same moment Seokjin turns around alarmed and shrieks a, “Jungkook!” In the softest way Jungkook has ever heard in his life. So, he realises two things. One. Seokjin had just recognised him from his voice only. Two. Even if startled, he is still mindful of Namjoon that is sleeping and recovering. Three. Jungkook is crushi-.

“Sorry if I scared you, it’s dark in here.” He lies shamelessly, but Seokjin cannot know that Jungkook has been gazing at his figure for a good minute.

“Yeah, I turned off the torch to save the battery.” He whispers. Jungkook is about to say something when Seokjin stops him, placing a finger on his own lips. “Shh, let’s go somewhere else. Namjoon needs all the rest he can get.” He then grabs the torch and turns it on only when he’s outside on the hallway and has half-closed the bedroom’s room. Jungkook doesn’t dare speak, so he just nods and wordlessly follows him to another room. Only when Seokjin stops and nods his head at him to hear what he had to say he regains his speech.

“I have food,” he blurts and his voice cracks. He coughs into his hand and tries again. “I’ve brough food for you. And me. Yoongi told me you haven’t eaten yet so I took an extra can for you. I got a spoon too. If you want it. It’s clean don’t worry. Did you eat something today? If you’re hungry you can have my portion too, I don’t min-“

“Jungkook, thanks. I’m not hungry.” Seokjin stops him in the middle of his speech? Sermon? Rant? Embarrassing demonstration of his inanity? Even Jungkook does not know what that was. Well, Seokjin isn’t hungry so now what? Does Jungkook just leave and goes downstairs? Stays here? Is Seokjin who goes back inside Namjoon’s room? Do they both stand there in silence awkwardly? “What happened to your hair? It isn’t raining outside.” Seokjin asks then, and Jungkook lets the beans fall again just to touch his wet hair as if he did not know they were still damp.

“I washed them.” He says simply.

Seokjin scoffs and leaves the room and with him goes the light too. Literally, he brings the torch along with him so Jungkook finds himself standing again in the pitch darkness. Not knowing what to do with himself. Seokjin is back immediately after with a piece of cloth in his hands. “Sit there,” he indicates the single bed under the window, Jungkook complies without asking questions. “Head down, yeah like this.” Seokjin instructs him before starting to gently rub his hair dry with the towel. “If you catch a cold, you’ll die and become a zombie Jim- Jungkook.” Seokjin jokes then, and the joke sounds rehearsed, like he has had many occasions to say it beforehand. But it is Jungkook’s first time hearing it so it brings a smile on his lips.

If Jungkook notices the name slip he does not point it out.

“Don’t you think that’s a bit tragic? I will not die from a cold.”

“You never know. I don’t want to k- kill you after you become a zombie, but I sure won’t let you eat me!” He laughs to hide his voice cracking.

Jungkook stays with his head bowed for a little longer. He is scared to look up and find Seokjin’s teary eyes. It’s ok if he stays like this a bit longer, right? The pressure of Seokjin’s hands over the towel gets lighter as his hair dries. When he knows he is about to get the towel off, he gently grabs Seokjin’s wrist so that his hand can rest on his head a little longer. “Thank you.”

“Why? I just dried your hair; it’s nothing really.” Seokjin says lightly while chuckling. “C’mon get up now.” He pats Jungkook on the shoulder.

“Not for the hair, Seokjin. Thank you for everything.” Jungkook starts. “You saved my hyung’s life when you did not have to. I will forever be grateful and in debt with you for that.” He firmly grabs the fabric of his trousers.

After a pause Seokjin takes a deep breath and slowly says, “Jungkook, I’m a doctor. That’s what we do.”

Jungkook then raises his head letting the towel drop on his shoulders, Seokjin’s wrist still in his palm. “Not anymore, not during the apocalypse.” He says truthfully, looking intensely at his eyes.

Seokjin falls on his knees just in front of Jungkook, his free hand runs up to cover his face. A frustrated sigh escapes his lips. “I’m sorry. I’m not the good person you think I am. I did not want to help your group; I didn’t want to save Namjoon and expose myself as a doctor. Before, when you went away with Taehyung the others came to me and thanked me! They bowed and were grateful for something that at first, I didn’t want to do. I-I was taught to hide my profession, bad things happen when people find out about it. I am selfish, I decided to let people die when I could save them Jungkook. To save myself. You do not know my past. You do not know me.” He says upset, hiccupping hard.

“But you did! You helped us. And me. Today at your camp too, you saved me.”

Seokjin draws in a fast breath through his nose, squeezing his eyes shut until it probably hurts. “Even then, it wasn’t my intention. I did not want to kill that living dead that was about to bite you! I knew that person! I laughed with that person before!”

“Seokjin.” Jungkook says, his voice low and gentle. He lets go of Seokjin’s wrist and gets off the bed too, sitting down on the floor, next to the other who is still kneeling with his head low, as if he’s bowing, asking for forgiveness. For what, Jungkook cannot comprehend. The emotions Seokjin is feeling, Jungkook felt them too, at some point, many years ago, before he found his hyungs. His hyungs. They had been his turning point. Jungkook thinks that Seokjin may have never had someone like them in his life, or maybe he has lost those people. In that instant Jungkook decides that he will forever be there for the man. He will be for Seokjin what his hyungs have been for him when he too was lost. Jungkook gently takes Seokjin’s hands, that were covering his face, in his and lowers them down. Seokjin’s flawless features remain just as perfect even when he is crying.

“Seokjin,” he repeats again, and this time his tear glazed eyes fall on his. “I’m sorry. I know today may seem like the worst day of your life. It gets better, trust me, mh? You are tough and you showed it to me today, how strong you are. Nothing can stop you if you do not want it to.” He stops to breath. “You have all the right to mourn for your family, and I won’t stop you from it. But it gets better. I will stay by your side while you cry and when you will laugh again. And not just me, the hyungs downstairs, too. They taught me what living means, what love for life is, and I will pass it on to you too when you are ready. I-“

“Jungkook,” Seokjin stops him, he releases one of his hands from his grip and soothingly caresses Jungkook’s cheek. “Why are you crying?”

Only then Jungkook realizes that he can feel the wetness on his face. “I don’t know.” He sobs. He feels… ridiculous is an understatement. He should be the one comforting Seokjin instead he is here sobbing like a cry baby. “Sorry.”

Seokjin shakes his head at Jungkook’s apology. “I didn’t say this before, but. Thank you Jungkook. For having saved me several times. Thank you for bringing me, an outsider, here and showing me your family and your world. Thank you for finding me in that pharmacy.” He says with his bottom lip quivering.

Jungkook shakes his head while drying tears with sleeve, he too is glad they have found each other. They stare at one another for a long time. Jungkook squeezes his hand and Seokjin does the same thing back before he looks away at his lap.

“I’m sorry for the whole grabbing you by the collar thing that happened before. I also said things I don’t mean because I was scared.” Jungkook says honest, bowing his head.

He hears Seokjin’s watery laugh. “I’m not mad at you. Beside it’s not like you can intimidate me.” Seokjin shrugs it off. Jungkook giggles, somehow he believes it.

Silence falls into the room, Jungkook occasionally disrupting it by sniffling with his nose. He had just started not so slickly admiring Seokjin’s face, his long lashes still adorned with tears, his eyelids almost puffy-like probably because he had been crying, his pillowy lips bitten raw, but the universe must hate Jungkook. Maybe it has a thing to see him panicking and make a fool out of himself in front of beautiful people, because just in that moment the jar of canned fruits, which had stayed quiet on the bed for the past half hour decides to move and roll off, falling on the floor with a loud bang.

“Fucking hell!” Jungkook exclaims while he moves a hand to his chest where he can feel his heart beating like crazy inside of his ribcage. Yes, it was for the sudden noise only. Surely not because of other things that are sitting beside to Jungkook and that are suddenly moving in front of him and leaning on is lap? “What are you doing?” Jungkook asks sucking in one breath, voice quiet.

Seokjin who is currently bent over Jungkook as he grips his bicep to keep himself steady and not fall over, tilts his head to look at him and blinks innocently. “Are those canned peaches in syrup?” Jungkook tries to recall the label he had read before and nods affirmatively, not trusting his voice to let out sounds right now. “Can I have them?” Jungkook nods again wordless. A beat passes. “Jungkook can you please give them to me? I can’t reach the jar.”

“Ah! Yes, of course I can.” He picks up the peaches up and hands them over. “Here.”

Seokjin gently grabs the glass container and stares at it with his eyes wide but then he sends a quick glance at Jungkook’s face and snorts. “Why are you fidgeting so much? Did you really shit your pants from that alone? I wonder what you will do when you face a real zombie.” He chuckles while sending Jungkook a quick smile. He retrieves a spoon from the floor and blows on it to clean it from the dust.

“Ah ah ah, very funny.” Jungkook replies flatly. “I thought you weren’t hungry?” He mutters tightly, not knowing what to say.

“Actually, I’m famished.” Seokjin says shrugging. He opens the jar without difficulty, the lid unlocking with a bop. “I could eat a whole human right now.” He says while bringing it under his nose and humming at the sweet smell.

“Ahhh!” Jungkook he pretends to scream just for being dramatic. “There’s a zombie! I wonder where I put my axe!” He flaps his arms around, committed to his act.

Seokjin shoves him with his shoulder and laughs softly. “I’m serious. I’m starving, please hurry up and find the other can too so we can start eating.”

Jungkook turns and grabs the torch, starts searching for the beans that fell before but it takes him a while to locate them. In the meantime, Seokjin, not only waits for him to start eating, but recovers the second spoon and blows on it too to take the dirt off, Jungkook appreciates the gesture but does not voice his thoughts. When he finds the can he returns to his sitting position on the floor, since Seokjin hasn’t moved from there. He’s still sitting there, having apparently decided to discard the soft bed in the sake of sitting on the hard, cold and dirt covered floor, but Jungkook doesn’t complain. He accepts grateful the spoon Seokjin hands him and they start eating in silence.

Seokjin hums content at the first peach he munches on. His eyes open comically wide when the fruit’s flavour registers in his mind. He looks down at the rest of it, his eyebrows drop. “Isn’t it sad,” he starts but then gets lost in chewing the food in his mouth.

Jungkook then hums for him to keep going. “What is?” A hundred responses coming to his mind.

“I don’t even remember what real fresh peaches taste like.” Seokjin explains after swallowing a mouthful. “They used to be my favourite fruit.” He adds quietly.

“Trees aren’t extinct, I’m sure we will find a peach tree soon or later,” Jungkook reassures him. “When it’s summer.” He adds but doesn’t mention how he absolutely despites any kind of peach, be it the fresh fruit, preserved in sugar or a jelly flavoured one. Only thinking about its fuzzy coat makes his skin crawl. He shakes his head and concentrates on chomping on his spoonful of beans.

“Do you and the group move often?” Seokjin asks then, it makes sense that he wants to learn more about the group’s habits. It is his new group too after all and sooner he learns these things better for everyone.

“We never stay in the same place for more than a week. It’s safer because of,” he drops his spoon inside the tin can to use his hand to gesticulate around, trying to find the right words. “Other humans.” Seokjin nods because he understands. “We were supposed to move yesterday but Namjoon got sick. When he feels better and is able to stand up we will leave.”

“I don’t know how to drive,” Seokjin admits silently as if he’s confessing a sin, his shoulders sag too and he places the glass jar on the floor between his crossed legs. Jungkook already knew this and sincerely he doesn’t understand why Seokjin looks so down about it. It’s not a big deal.

“The hyungs will teach you like they did with me.” He says. “Let’s see…” He puts his index finger under his chin. “Hoseok hyung is probably the best choice as your driving teacher.”

“Only him?” Seokjin asks perplexed and Jungkook nods solemnly. “And the others?” He asks.

“If you don’t want to come out of your first guide traumatized or being yelled at, go for Hoseok.” Jungkook says shivering and purposely thinning his lips.

Seokjin giggles and puts a hand over his mouth to cover his smile. “And you? Can’t you teach me?”

Jungkook blinks and opens his mouth a ‘sure’ immediately at the tip of his tongue but then he pauses. He licks his lips and tries to ignore the thumping of his heart. “You know, you don’t need to learn. You can just keep riding on my motorbike. With me.” He says nonchalantly. Yes, Jungkook, that was smooth.

Seokjin seems to be weighting his words for a while but then he grins and nods. Jungkook’s heart drops into his stomach, he nods back. Smooth. The comfortable silence comes back, and they munch away their cold and meagre dinner.

Jungkook gulps down a new spoonful of beans and clears his throat. “Seokjin,” he says to catch his attention. He moves the can in his hands towards him. “Do you want some?”

Seokjin smiles appreciatively when he understands. He shakes his head negatively. “Do you?” He asks back.

Jungkook glances at the peaches for half a second before looking away. “I’m good.” He says tightly.

Seokjin shrugs at that and bites another piece. “It’s hyung, by the way.”

“Mhh?” Jungkook hums with his mouth full of food.

“It’s Seokjin-hyung for you.” He explains further.

Jungkook feels his eyes widening. “What? And how do you know you’re older than me?” He asks hurriedly. “Don’t be fooled by my baby face or this pimple on my chin,” he says pointing with his finger at said zit. “I am well after my teenage days.” He almost whines.

Seokjin snorts and backs off a little, straightening his back against the bed frame. “Actually, Taehyung told me. Strangely the first thing he asked me when we were left alone was whether I was younger or older than you. He said he did not mean to be noisy about my stuff but that on the other hand it was of vital importance to know if the place of the,” he pauses to raise his hands and use his fingers to make quotes in the air, “’Baby of the group’, his words not mine, was still yours. So yeah, I’m older than you.” He concludes, but then looks at Jungkook’s expression and his eyebrows furrow. “You don’t look as happy as Taehyung was.”

“Of course, I’m not! I thought we were the same age.” Jungkook whines and his head bows forward. Damn Seokjin and his flawless skin, his angelic features, and his genetics.

“I’m just five years older, it’s not that much…” Seokjin tries to comfort him, patting his shoulder.

Jungkook’s head is suddenly up, his face hopeful. “Five years? You are not only my hyung but everyone’s hyung?” He asks not really expecting an answer. It’s Seokjin’s turn now to look at him startled with his hand still in the air. “Now, this is fun.” Jungkook adds with a twisted smile.

“I am what?” Seokjin asks high pitched, Jungkook snorts. “Wait. Isn’t Yoongi like 35?” Jungkook slaps his own thigh hard and then starts laughing out loud. “Don’t laugh!” Seokjin complains and pushes him.

Seokjin stays in silence waiting for Jungkook’s fit of laughter to end. Only when Jungkook dries the last tears from his eyes he realizes that Seokjin’s ears have turned red. “He says that he’s always thinking about important stuff that’s why he has many wrinkles between his eyebrows.” Seokjin looks at him suspiciously, evidently not believing his statement. “Did you know that Taehyung was in a gang?” He asks.

“Yeah, he told me.” Seokjin answers immediately, not the least imperturbable.

“And you trust his words but not mine?” Jungkook pretends to cry. “Also what the fuck? You were alone for like five minutes and now you’re already best friends?” Jungkook continues acting sensitive and he succeeds in getting a giggle out of Seokjin. “I know he tends to overshare but that’s a new record even for him.”

“He’s nice,” Seokjin smiles.

“Don’t be deceived, I thought so too as first.” Jungkook deadpans while mustering the most serious expression he can manage.

Seokjin bends his legs and rests his head on the bed. He retrieves the torch and points it at the ceiling. Jungkook’s eyes follow the ray of light and he grimaces when he notices all the cobwebs hanging from the non-functioning chandelier. Seokjin lets out a weak sigh and twists the torch in his hands, illuminating random parts of the room.

“He actually kind of presented the whole group to me.”

“He did?” Jungkook’s eyebrows shoot up.

“He was in the middle of it when Namjoon started screaming,” Seokjin says but then he frowns his brows. “But I think most of the things he told me are wrong. Like, he described Namjoon as someone who’s precise, reliable and intelligent.”

“Yeah, it sounds pretty much like Namjoon hyung to me.”

“He ate Belladonna berries and risked to die.” Seokjin deadpans back, Jungkook snorts.

“Taehyung hyung forgot to mention that’s he is also very clumsy.” Jungkook offers but Seokjin spares him only a glance before bringing his eyes up to the ceiling again. “What did he say about me, then? Only good things I hope.” He asks smugly, turning his torso to face Seokjin and resting his elbow on the mattress. Next thing he knows the torch’s flashlight is pointed directly at his face; he blinks a few times before shielding his eyes with his forearm.

“He said that you are a germophobe, selfish, could not be able to hurt a mosquito, very possessive of your things and he also stated that he could bet that you’d cry at rom coms movies.” Jungkook scoffs and snatches the torch back, he has half the idea to point it back at Seokjin’s face just to get back at him but then he decides to leave it on the floor between their legs so that it can illuminate the both of them. “Yet,” Seokjin continues. “We’re sitting on the dirty floor together and you have offered to share your food with me. I saw you kill zombies without hesitation to protect your group. Taehyung is partially wrong.”

Jungkook looks at Seokjin then, even if the latter is still holding his stare at the ceiling. “Partially?”

Seokjin’s eyes move to finally look at Jungkook and maybe Jungkook wishes he never did look at him, if he had to stare like that. Seokjin gaze is intense and longing for something Jungkook doesn’t have the words to express. “You’re really empathetic.”

“Don’t,” he gulps. “Don’t get fooled, I’m being nice only because you’re new.” Jungkook throws out.

Seokjin’s lips stretch in a quick smile as he nods, his eyes don’t crinkle with it. “I will not.” Seokjin turns his head on the opposite side of where Jungkook is and puts the palm of his hand in front of his mouth, he yawns. Jungkook notices anyway so soon after he’s yawning too, however he doesn’t use his hand to cover his wide open mouth so when he notices that Seokjin has turned back and is looking at him again he shuts his mouth quickly and makes a funny face trying to stifle the yawn.

Seokjin snorts at it. “You’re tired?” He asks.

“I’m not.” Jungkook says as he stretches his arms over his head in the process. “Besides you’re the one who yawned first, you just rubbed it off on me.”

“Not my fault if our bodies do this phenomenon called social mirroring,” Seokjin says back.

“Don’t talk doctor to me,” Jungkook snorts and Seokjin laughs too at it. “And you? Are you tired?”

“Exhausted.” Seokjin admits.

Jungkook nods at that, starts to get up, patting himself on the back of his thighs to get the dust off from his pants. “You can have this room,” he says. He recovers the two now empty cans to throw them away and the spoons to wash them. When he turns around, he doesn’t make it far away since he feels a pull on his leg.

“Can’t you stay only for a bit longer?” Seokjin almost pleads, eyes big and lips partially parted. “If you don’t have anything else to do?” He adds and loosens the grip on the fabric of Jungkook’s trousers.

Jungkook gulps loudly, taken aback. He turns his head to look at the window, the sky is of a dark blue and his turn to stay on watch outside is probably nearing, but he guesses he still has few more minutes. “Okay, I’m staying.” He says as he sits down again. He straightens his back and hugs his legs close to his chest. The air around them feels tense until Jungkook hears Seokjin yawn again.

“Can I?” He’s asked then, the question coming short and quiet. Jungkook doesn’t understand not until he sees Seokjin’s lazy smile while pointing at his shoulder. Jungkook nods. Soon after he feels the nice weight of Seokjin’s head on his shoulder. He bends his back a little to make himself more comfortable. He also drops his shoulders low and when he does Seokjin lets out a sigh of relief. He freezes a little when the idea that he might smell like sweat passes by his brain, but he just forces the thought away. He unwraps his arms from around his knees and crosses his legs. Only then he realizes that the palms of his hands feel clammy, he dries them on the fabric of his pants. “You can just keep on calling me Seokjin you know?” Seokjin speaks suddenly, his voice quiet as if he’s soon to fall asleep. “Without the honorific, I mean.”

“Seokjin hyung,” Jungkook says then, the name followed by the honorific rolling out of his tongue naturally.

“Yeah?” Seokjin breathes out.

“Nothing, I- was just trying to see how it felt.” Jungkook answers truthfully.

“And? How does it feel?” Seokjin whispers now.

“Right.” Jungkook whispers back, he doesn’t know why but it feels much like they’re sharing a secret. “I like how it sounds.” Seokjin nods slightly his head and his breathing evens out. Jungkook counts to thirty before moving his head to look at his hyung’s face. He finds him with his eyelids closed and his lips slightly parted from where puffs of air come out rhythmically. His hair cover most of his face and Jungkook has half a mind to reach up to try to arrange the strands better. He has almost decided to do it when he hears a cough coming from the door. He turns his head rapidly, but he stays silent, still mindful of Seokjin sleeping beside him.

Hoseok. Hoseok is at the door looking at them, smiling. He firstly points with his index at Seokjin’s figure and then puts both of his hands on his chest and mouths a silent ‘aww’. Jungkook rolls his eyes in annoyance, however he knows why Hoseok came here, to tell Jungkook it’s time for him to go outside.

Jungkook points with his thumb at the window behind and mimics ‘I’m coming, give me five minutes’. He doesn’t know if Hoseok will be able to lip read, but he has to try since he doesn’t want to wake Seokjin up just yet.

Hoseok seems to understand him just right, his arms take the shape of an x and he shakes his head. ‘I gotchu’, he mouths, adding after ‘stay here’.

Jungkook is almost about to send him a finger heart followed by a sincere thank you but when Hoseok points again at Seokjin, rising his eyebrows suggestively three times Jungkook’s expression becomes stoic. Because Hoseok never knows when to stop he points next at Jungkook and starts making kissy faces.

Jungkook grimaces even as he can feel the heat rise up to his cheeks. ‘Go away’ he mimics then. ‘And thank you’ he adds because he really is grateful.

Hoseok shakes his head and his hand in a ‘it’s nothing, really’ gesture but then he slaps a hand in front of his mouth to stifle a laugh, when he notices Jungkook’s perplexed expression he nods towards the general direction of where he and Seokjin are sitting.

Jungkook is forced to look down by curiosity but the breath gets caught in his throat when he notices Seokjin’s hand just barely few millimeters from touching his. Did he move his unknowingly? Maybe Seokjin shifted in his sleep. Jungkook, cheeks burning hot and probably colored with a dark shade of red, turns back to Hoseok, hoping that the semidarkness can hide his blushing.

His hyung, highly amused, mouths ‘I’m telling Taehyung’. Jungkook’s jaw drops but the reaction only makes Hoseok snort through his nose.

In return Jungkook can only send him a menacing glare since he can’t move an inch, but his hyung remains pretty much unimpressed at it, shrugging with his shoulders. ‘Fuck you’ Jungkook then whispers as Hoseok starts to leave, trusting himself to be as quiet as possible in cussing out his hyung. He realizes that he wasn’t quiet when he feels Seokjin stirring by his side.

“Do you have to leave?” He asks, his voice laced with sleep.

“I don’t.” Jungkook answers truthfully.

Seokjin sighs tiredly then, maybe feeling a bit relieved by Jungkook’s voice. He then starts moving around a bit, making himself more comfortable against his side. Jungkook send him a quick glance and notices that Seokjin’s eyes are still closed, he sighs silently and rests the back of his head on the side mattress of the. He feels it then, their pinkies touching.

“Jungkook,” Seokjin mutters weary.

“Mhh?” Jungkook answers first, but when few beats pass without a response, he thinks that maybe Seokjin has not heard him. “What is it hyung?”

“Teach me, okay?” Seokjin simply asks.

Jungkook does not need to ask what. He knows. Jungkook nods his head, yeah he will teach him eventually when the time comes. Seokjin must feel his neck moving because Jungkook can sense that he has started smiling against his shoulder.

When Seokjin finally clutches at his hand, inserting his fingers between Jungkook’s, Jungkook wastes no time in tightening the hold, at last intertwining their fingers.