Archive of Our Own

First day

Hoseok fiddles with the zipper of his coat for the millionth time. The car radio plays a ballad his mother enjoys, but his father is driving in silence. Hoseok thinks they should be talking, making use of those last few hours when they could be together like this… Instead, they are just quiet. Maybe his dad feels guilty, maybe he just doesn't want to get too touchy with Hoseok when he's going to be living hours away. Still, all he can do is try to focus on the fact this trip will be done soon and at least he won't have to be trapped any longer. 

The little sleepy town he will be living in seems nice. Hoseok tries to memorize all the places he won't be visiting any time soon. Maybe somewhere like this he can go on nightly walks, maybe Jungkook will be more willing to accompany him. 

"Oh shit!" His dad shouts, swerving the car out of the way, and Hoseok grabs the inside door handle for dear life. His heart skips several beats before he turns to his father to try and understand what happened. "There was a chicken on the road!" 

He only blinks for a second, and then can't quite contain his nervous laughter. There was just a chicken walking around, not even his home town is this rural. They park not long after and Hoseok can see an older woman grabbing said chicken from the side of the road, and then standing  to watch them. He tries to not feel self conscious as he pulls up his mask. He has done his make up - well, his sister did with tears in her eyes - so it shouldn't be too obvious he's infected. Still, Hoseok feels like a circus attraction as he gets out of the car. 

And that's when he sees Jungkook for the first time in ages. 

He doesn't remember much of Jungkook, if he is honest. Most of what he remembers from that day is flashes of people running or zombies - infected, he reminds himself - going rabid. The memories he has of Jungkookie are flashes of a kid looking lost. The strongest image he's had until now is of the teenager with baby cheeks and too long bangs, looking so small in his oversized hoodie as he gave that first interview. 

This is not what he sees now. Jungkook is taller than Hoseok, and even with oversized clothes he looks broader. The face is still much the same, except now he has piercings and an undercut. Jungkook smiles, all bunny-like and excited when he sees Hoseok, and he doesn't stop himself from smiling back.

“Hobi! How was the trip?”

“It was fine, not too much trouble.” He turns to his father, who has finally left the car and is walking towards the trunk. “My sister couldn’t come along, but she told me to thank you again, Jungkook.”

There’s a slight tension in the young man’s jaw, but he still smiles and goes over to Hoseok's father to hoist up the bags. It feels weird to see his entire life reduced to two suitcases and a backpack. It was pointless to bring much else though, most of the parafernalia he had in his room belonged to a version of himself he no longer is. 

As the three of them stand by the gate, Hoseok is once again faced with how awkward the whole situation is. 

"Well, I should head back if I want to be home before sundown." His father breaks the silence, turning to Hoseok and wiping his hands on his pants. "Call me if you need anything, okay? I love you, son." 

"Of course I will." Hoseok forces a smile, even if he doesn't believe those words. Yes, it's better for him to stay with Jungkook, but it stings that his family just can't have him. That he doesn't belong with them anymore. He's alive, but he will never actually have his life back. 

They give each other the most stilted hug, Hoseok can feel his father incredibly tense under his grip so he doesn't make it last longer than a couple moments. As he watches him get back into the car, it takes a lot to keep the tears and sobs inside. But he does it. Jungkook looks at him with what Hoseok can only read as empathy as they walk into the property.

“Everyone is excited to see you, Hoseok-ssi.”

He forces himself to smile as people come out of the house and into the yard to greet him. He recognizes most of them from pictures and news, but not from memory. First it’s the couple - Jimin and Taehyung - though they are not as colorful as they used to be, the dyed hair he has seen in the pictures is no longer there. Instead they have the same discolored hair that most infected try to keep hidden. Jimin - he thinks it’s Jimin at least, the shorter one, the pink haired one in the infamous picture - walks up to him with a big bright smile.

“J-Hooope!” He actually hugs Hoseok in his excitement. And it feels very weird to be cared about so much by someone he doesn’t even quite remember. “I’m so excited to have you here, it'll be so much fun.”

His joy is so palpable that Hoseok feels like he can’t just tell him he doesn’t remember. He wishes he did remember anything, but all he can do is smile. “Thank you for having me.” Hoseok then feels someone else stepping closer to them, and looks up to see the other half of the picture, Taehyung. He’s also smiling, boxy and cute, coming over to hug Hoseok as well, and he feels a bit overwhelmed as they start talking. 

Talking about how he still looks the same, how they can’t wait to show him around, and Hoseok has to stop them in their tracks. “I’m sorry.” He whispers, pulling a bit away from them, still holding Jimin’s hands. “I don’t remember any of what happened… I’m so sorry.”

They stare at him, eyes wide and blinking slowly, then Taehyung looks down and mumbles an apology. Things have gotten awkward, great. Before he can apologize more, someone chimes in. 

“Leave him be for a moment, he’s barely gotten here. After he’s had something to eat and time to acclimate you can talk more with him, kids.” 

This man he’s also seen a lot in the media. Kim Seokjin, in all his glory. He looks even more handsome in person, which Hoseok didn’t think was possible. Perhaps it’s because he’s wearing a soft pink sweater instead of the formal outfits they put him in for the propaganda pieces. He wheels over towards Hoseok on his chair and offers a hand. “It’s good to meet you, Hoseok-ssi. I’m Kim Seokjin, the unfortunate adult of this group.” That results in Jungkook making an indignant noise right behind them.

He shakes Seokjin’s hand, losing a bit of tension. “Nice to meet you, Seokjin-ssi.”

“You don’t need to be so formal, we're stuck together here.” There’s no malice in his words, and it actually makes Hoseok smile, how calm he is about it. Seokjin smiles back, and then turns his gaze to someone Hoseok had not quite realized was there. 

It’s kind of weird, he doesn’t remember much, but he can tell this was not how Namjoon used to look. He couldn’t find any pictures, but as Namjoon looks at him it’s quite obvious he might be the most affected by their whole ordeal. Even with the long sleeved clothes and pants, there’s a lot to show how much he lost - in the literal sense. And yet, as he smiles and waves, Hoseok thinks there’s a genuine beauty in the fact he is here.  That all of them are.

Well, not all of them, though six out of seven is quite a good number. 

He watches with a head tilt as Namjoon goes back inside immediately after greeting, and doesn’t realize the rest are discussing something until Seokjin’s voice reels him back into the present. The expectant looks tell him he was asked something, and Hoseok smiles weakly giving an answer he hopes fits the situation enough. “It’s fine.” 

Jungkook nods. “Then I’ll bring your stuff in.”

Seokjin offers him a hand to high five. “Nice to have you, roommate.”

Oh, so it was his sleeping arrangements. He takes a deep breath and keeps smiling. It’s pointless to get too stuck on his own preferences, it’s not feasible for Hoseok to be outside all the time, even if every closed off space he's in feels like a coffin. So he focuses on keeping his breathing steady and not showing his discomfort as they decide to give him a tour of the place. He’s told his room is downstairs with Seokjin, with a nice window and a sliding door that leads outside. Maybe he can swing going into the frankly too big yard they have in the middle of the night. He won’t dare going out into the town, he can’t afford it, but the yard should be fine once he figures out how heavy of a sleeper his roommate can be. 

If Hoseok is completely honest, he doesn’t pay much more attention to the rest of the tour they give him. He’s shown where Jungkook sleeps in case of an emergency, and around the kitchen - Jin’s territory as he is informed. He’s shown to the house phone and the “comunal laptop”, a thing that feels weirdly pointless in the current landscape of the world. Like, for all he knows, Korea is its own weird island in the sea of the world ending around them. 

The best part is getting introduced to the pets of the house. Taehyung’s purse dog looks at him with a bit of suspicion but eventually wags his tail happily. Jungkook’s therapy dog, Bam, is just watching Hoseok, a good boy through and through. That more than anything makes him feel welcome. Makes him forget that he has scars on his arms from the chains that were tied around him, makes him forget that his parents see a monster when they look at him. When Bam licks his hand, Hoseok giggles to himself. 

The rest of his first day is a bit of a blur. Seokjin cooks and Jimin (with Taehyung by his side) talks a lot to him, but the anxiety of walls and the doors that Namjoon makes sure to keep closed make it impossible for him to focus. He can't relax as he probably should after such a long trip. 

He doesn't say a word when Jungkook administers the medicine. That part is not that different from how it was at the center. Standing around in a room while someone brings out the injections, the things that keep him a person after all that happened. Hoseok definitely doesn’t hate it, but it’s a reminder of the danger he actually poses to people. To survivors. Because in the end, Hoseok didn't survive. 

Afterwards, they all just end up defaulting to their own rooms. Seokjin doesn't say a word when Hoseok doesn't close the door after himself. They talk a bit, mostly pointless little threads of conversation. Hoseok says he likes Seokjin's cute pink pajamas, his roommate excitedly tells him they could try and find Hoseok something more fun instead of the gray set he owns. 

When the lights are off and Hoseok is under his covers, things get worse. He has to actively focus on breathing, has to focus to not just keep turning and turning on the bed.

His chest feels tight. It’s not quite as bad as back home, because Seokjin keeps a small lamp next to his bed lit up even though he’s gone to bed. It feels like every second takes an hour, like he's stuck here forever. But Hoseok can do this, he can .

“Can’t sleep?” Seokjin’s voice startles him. In a second he's sitting on the bed and looking towards his roommate, who is laying on his side, staring at him.

“Just jitters I guess.” Hoseok tries to smile, but his voice is shaky. “I might go outside for a bit, get some air, tire myself out a bit.” It’s a harmless lie right? He sits up on the bed himself, already throwing his legs over the edge of the bed and getting up. He can’t be too much more of a bother, right?

Before he can skitter out of the room though, Seokjin sits up and tells him to stop. Hoseok feels like a deer caught in the headlights.

“I'll go with you.” 

Hoseok doesn’t tell him not to. Instead he just accepts the embarrassment of waiting until the man pulls himself into his chair. He really needs to be outside, uneasiness is clawing inside his throat. 

They're very quiet as they make their way to the porch. It’s cold and they are not fully dressed for it, but just seeing the night sky and being able to pace a little bit does wonders for Hoseok. It doesn’t matter if he can barely see in the dark, the moonlight is enough. Seokjin is clearly having a harder time, Hoseok can hear his teeth chattering.

“Oh, sorry, Seokjin-ssi.” He immediately rushes over, bracing himself to go back inside.

“You don’t like being inside do you?” The older man asks, voice soft. Hoseok pulls his hands back from where they were going to grab the chair handles, suddenly so embarrassed. Is he so obvious that someone who just met him can tell how he feels? It’s pathetic. But Hoseok was never good at lying. In a way it’s almost a blessing that back when the world ended, he couldn’t reach his family. He wouldn’t have been able to lie to them that everything would be okay. 

“Yeah. I just… Have a very hard time with feeling trapped.” He looks down, then smiles. “But I’ll try to not be loud when you have to sleep, Seokjin-ssi.” 

Seokjin shakes his head, a bit exasperated. “It’s not that. Would you be more comfortable if you could sleep outside, by yourself?” Hoseok raises his head, eyebrows shooting up. That had never been an option before. How would that even work? Wouldn’t Jungkook be in trouble? Before he can ask any of that though, Seokjin’s face lights up. “There’s a winter camping tent in the house somewhere! I think it stayed from the previous owner, but we can set that up for you until we can figure out something better.”

Hoseok is baffled. But it’s absolutely impossible to hide his excitement over the vague possibility of having a place like this for himself. A place where he could easily see the stars. Seokjin sighs heavily. 

“It’s gonna be kind of hard assembling it now, being blind as bats. But hey, I bet we can do it, right, Hoseok-ssi?”

He nods, for the first time since he left the center genuinely feeling welcome. 

Two weeks in

When Park Jimin walks out of the house and into the garden, Hoseok knows there’s something up. Judging from the days he’s been around, it’s unusual to see Jimin without his other half. But it does happen, as Seokjin explained to him. “Sometimes the soulmates fight and it sucks ass, but it passes, it always does.” It’s still the first time he’s experienced it. Feels a bit surreal, he had yet to see Jimin in this state, clear frustration in his expression. 

“Morning, Jiminie.” He calls out with a smile. Maybe the nickname is a bit too much, but Hoseok is really trying to become closer to everyone. And while politeness would surely work with people like Namjoon, with Jimin and Taehyung familiarity was clearly the better option.

“Morning.” The young man grumbles walking over. “Can I join you for stretches?” He asks, with a pout followed by a very sweet smile. 

He nods immediately and the other stands next to him, not talking much. It’s a bit awkward to be like this, but Hoseok does need to get a lot of stretching in if he ever wishes to dance again. It’s quite pathetic how his fingers barely reach down to his knees, legs already burning. The doctors at the center had told him not to rush, but Hoseok feels like this is the only thing from his old life he can really get back. He can't go to university, he can't be with his family, but he could dance. 

It’s hard to focus though, when Jimin is so clearly brooding next to him. The younger man is not saying a word, but the way he's huffing in annoyance every once in a while is very telling. Even to Hoseok who barely knows him. After a bit, he releases his leg from a thigh stretch and puts his hands on his hips, turning to Jimin.

“You don't have to tell me what's the problem, but clearly there is one.”

Jimin stops reaching for his spread feet and looks up at him, pouting a bit. Hoseok notices his makeup is all done, that he dyed his hair light brown. He looks like a perfectly healthy young man to anyone else. 

“It's fine. I'm just… frustrated I guess?” Hoseok hums noncommittally, trying to make it clear that he can continue if he wants. “Somedays, when we wake up and I see Tae… It’s just, too much? I don’t know. It’s not like I want days like this either, you know? And it hurts him, I can tell it does. I don’t want to hurt him more.” Jimin straightens up and throws his head back, looking at the sky. The bangs fall off his face as he does, make him look soft and young. Hoseok almost wants to give him a hug. There’s probably more to it, a deeper explanation, but as much as Hoseok tries to be helpful he's not a therapist, and whatever underlying issues Jimin and Taehyung have are definitely therapy worthy. 

Instead, he settles for putting a hand on Jimin’s shoulder, like his dad used to do to him when he wanted to show support but didn't quite know how. 

“Well, distractions can be good sometimes.”

Jimin sighs, a nice smile on his lips though not the kind that squeezes his eyes into crescents, not a truly happy one. “Yeah, I’m trying to figure out what I can do for fun. Seokjin-hyung doesn’t want to record a video today, and Jungkookie is dealing with Tae…”

“Do you like dancing, Jiminie?”

Hoseok figures he has the answer to the question somewhere in his swiss cheese brain, because Jimin can’t hide the little bit of shock that seeps through his expression. Like he just remembered Hoseok doesn’t remember anything. 

“Yeah, I do. I wanted to be an idol before, you know?”

“Oh, that’s so cool!” Hoseok tries not to let his worry show up too much, it’s not good to be overly intrusive in other people's lives. The therapist at the center had called it a way to put his own needs on the backburner, and that sometimes people need a sense of independence and distance. He also tries to quiet the heartbreak over the fact Jimin won’t be an idol anymore. 

“Yeah. I had an audition just before, well, the world fucking ended.” It’s somewhat funny when Jimin swears, he's such a sweet boy most of the time. But then again there are these moments of a fury inside him, that make him think Jimin would do well singing diss tracks. 

“I used to dance too, I was part of like a dance group. Not idol style, I was more of a b-boy, but I danced.” He wonders if he told Jimin this when they first met on the train. But the other man does an amazing job at looking absolutely interested and surprised. “Maybe we can dance together? Choreograph something just for fun.”

The way Jimin's face lights up is worth a thousand suns, and he nods eagerly. “Maybe something from Burn the Stage? You like them, right Hobi-hyung?” He's so excited that Hoseok doesn't make note that this is the first time Jimin has been less formal with him. It feels nice. 

“I do! That sounds great.”

Jimin immediately rushes into the house, saying he'll ask Seokjin for the one cellphone they have to play some music. Hoseok chuckles to himself and sits on the ground, still soft before winter really sets in. He throws his head back, leaning on his elbows, and that's when he sees it. Perched on the hip height wall separating their place from the neighbor's. It's the chicken, again. 

This chicken is weird. Hoseok can't help but frown when he notices it's watching him with those beady little eyes. He's pretty sure it's the same chicken his dad almost ran over when Hoseok got here, judging by the white pattern over the wings. He wonders if it wants revenge on him or something. Whatever it's planning, it has escaped the coop and tried coming over plenty of times. It's definitely determined. 

“I was thinking of something simple like… You know, Like.” Jimin's voice breaks Hoseok out of his musings as he skips back onto the garden. 

He extends his hands and Jimin carefully helps him up, sweet as ever. Jimin puts on the song, and they start discussing the possibilities for this choreo. Hoseok has never quite had to do work like this, but he thinks he likes this quite a lot. It makes him feel like everything is not over, that the future does hold something for them. Also, he loves to see that even though he can’t do the stunts he used to be able to, it’s at least something to work towards. And it’s something Jimin will have outside of his relationship as well, Hoseok thinks it will do him good.

One month and a half in

It’s three in the morning and Hoseok hears a noise coming from outside his tent. He pokes his head out with his big ass flashlight turned on, because whatever is outside, he’d rather be able to see it. What he encounters is quite bizarre.

Kim Namjoon is standing in the middle of the yard having a staredown contest with the goddamn chicken. Hoseok has to control himself very much to not just start laughing at the scene. Between the flashlight in Namjoon’s helmet shining down or the way the chicken is somehow awake and weird enough to just sit there staring up at a human at least twenty times its size. It’s fucking hilarious. 

The chicken cocks its head to the side and Namjoon does the exact same gesture, which finally breaks Hoseok. His laughter startles both of them. The chicken cawks loudly, jumping and flapping her wings. Namjoon on the other hand flinches in Hoseok's direction, going taut as a bowstring. 

Hoseok immediately stops laughing, and scrambles out of the tent. “Sorry, Namjoon-ssi.” He takes a few tentative steps over. “You two were just very cute.” 

The tension doesn't fully seep away from the other's shoulders, but Namjoon gives him a tight lipped smile. He's looking as if he just rolled out of bed, winter pajamas rumpled, hair a mess and his medical eyepatch a bit skewed to the side. 

“It's no problem, Hoseok-ssi. I figured you were a heavier sleeper.” He bows his head slightly. “And I wasn't expecting the chicken.” 

“Oh yeah, it always comes here for some reason. Maybe revenge? I don't know.” Hoseok has made it close enough to them that he can crouch beside the chicken, who's staring at him with fierce determination behind those beady little eyes. “Why do you keep coming over? I don't feed you or anything. Yeontan always barks when he sees you, so it's not like you'd find here safe. I've told you I'm sorry about my father almost running you over.” 

From the edge of his vision he can see Namjoon grin, a little bit more honest this time. The chicken, though, doesn't seem fazed by his excuses. It just gts closer and pecks the edge of his pants before waddling over to the tent and the heater next to it, settling in to sleep.

“I think it likes you.” Namjoon offers. 

“Well, maybe it likes the heater.” Hoseok chuckles. 

It’s weird to interact with Namjoon, there’s something about his presence that can be unsettling. Even if he’s no more than a very tall stick of a barely adult man. He’s still somewhat intimidating, Hoseok won’t deny it. Especially since he doesn’t often talk with Namjoon at all, the other man prefers to be in his room. Sometimes Hoseok thinks Namjoon doesn’t like him, but when they are both like this, he's not quite sure. Maybe Namjoon is just really fucking awkward.

“So, what were you doing up this late, Namjoon-ssi?” He tries to make small talk, which is a bit surreal considering it’s three am and they're standing outside their collective house. Which they only share because they banded together to save a kid's life in what seemed like the end of the world . 

Namjoon scratches the back of his head, looking down at the grass. “I… was just a bit concerned with making sure the house is safe for when Yoongi-ssi arrives.” Hoseok can’t help but to smile at that, he’s excited to actually meet Min Yoongi. From what Jungkook described he was only going to stay for a while, until his family situation got fixed. He knows Yoongi was there with them, and the idea of having him join their little mismatched group seems fitting if also a bit anxiety inducing. Jungkook should not have six infected under his guard, Hoseok knows that. And yet, he can only hope it all proves simpler than people make it out to be.

“And what's the veredict?”

Namjoon's smile is tight lipped. 

“It's adequate. I still think the outside walls are a bit too low, but there is no time or resources to fix that. The locks on the doors seem fine, though they probably can't handle if a full grown human puts their weight into them, but it's good actually because if someone is locked in…” Namjoon goes on a rant that Hoseok was definitely not prepared for. He has clearly put a lot of thought into how to make this house safe. It's… disconcerting. Hoseok just tries to follow as Namjoon points out a host of small things that would have never been in Hoseok's radar. “But yeah, I think it's as good as it's getting for now.”

“Do you need help with anything, Namjoon-ssi?” 

Namjoon's eye goes a bit wide at that. “I mean, I'm sure you want to go back to sleep, Hoseok-ssi.”

“I mean, you should sleep too, and two people can work faster than one.”

There's a slight release in the tension on Namjoon's shoulders. He looks younger like that, cute even. 

“It would make it faster indeed.”

One month and twenty days in.

Hoseok is pretty sure Min Yoongi is a ghost. 

It’s been four days since the newest addition to the house arrived, and Hoseok has only seen him once, right as he got here. He tried to be nice and introduce himself, but Yoongi had just given him a nod and then practically ran inside. The gossip that Seokjin and the soulmates offer him is that Yoongi has barely left the bedroom, that even when Jungkook needs to give him the meds he has to go in there. 

Hoseok tries not to worry too much, he knows people are different and deal with trauma in particular ways. It’s slightly disappointing that he doesn’t think he’ll see Yoongi much if he’s such a shut in though. At least Namjoon has vaguely started befriending him, mostly coming downstairs to talk to Hoseok about what his plans for the garden are and how Hoseok is feeling.  

The second time Hoseok actually sees Yoongi is very early in the morning. Hoseok ended up waking up early with the chicken pecking at the tent door for either food or Hoseok’s attention. He really should ask their neighbor its name because just thinking about it as the chicken is starting to feel weird. 

So, even though it’s like five am he’s gone inside the house, leaving the porch door open so it doesn’t feel as trapping as it could. Mostly Hoseok is looking to see if there is any corn or something of the sort he can feed the chicken. They seem to be on good terms now, and he doesn’t want to ruin it. 

Hoseok is looking through the cabinets, light turned on so he won’t take too long. And then a blob walks in. 

Hoseok freezes in surprise as he processes this blob all dressed in black is Min Yoongi. The other man doesn’t seem to notice Hoseok, facemask and headphones on as he starts making two cups of instant coffee. He seems to zone out as the water heats. Maybe if Hoseok wasn’t so aware about the fact that Yoongi is standing between him and the outside, he could just stay quiet and not break the peaceful silence. Instead, because he knows himself, he takes a step so the other notices him. 

Yoongi turns immediately, pointing the spoon he was holding straight at Hoseok’s neck. They stare at each other for a moment, before Yoongi’s eyebrows shoot up with recognition. “Oh. Sorry, I didn’t see you there.” He mumbles, instantly avoiding Hoseok’s gaze.

“Oh, no worries. I’m not usually up this early, but the chicken wanted food.” 

Yoongi arches one eyebrow, and Hoseok wishes really bad that his skin wasn't crawling with the knowledge that Yoongi could lock him inside if he wanted to. Even if Yoongi is twig, Hoseok himself is not very strong either. For a moment they just stand there, before Yoongi looks behind himself, probably following Hoseok’s unwavering line of sight. 

“Oh.” He takes a step to the side, letting Hoseok have enough room to pass. Which he does, scuttling towards the glass door despite himself. At least the chicken clucks in excitement to see him back. The breeze is very cold as Hoseok steps outside, crouching to offer some rice. He vaguely hears Yoongi coming up behind him, keeping a distance from the door and Hoseok, but watching. “What’s its name?”

Hoseok’s cheeks heat. “I don’t know. She’s actually the neighbor’s, but she likes coming over.” All the rice gobbled up, the chicken promptly rushes to his tent, probably going after the warmth of his covers. “I’ve just been thinking of her as the chicken. ” 

Yoongi snorts, but it doesn’t feel dismissive to Hoseok. Reminds him of people he saw when he was recovering in the Center, who would scoff or huff when they felt they were supposed to laugh but didn’t seem to remember how.

“Do you mind if I close the door? We can keep talking, it’s just… Cold, I guess?” It’s hard to read if Yoongi is being honest or not. His tone is calm and collected, but he keeps shifting his weight from one foot to the other and back, never still. 

“Oh, it’s no problem at all.” Hoseok slides it shut himself, and plops to the floor right next to it.

Yoongi seems pretty confused for a moment before sitting too, hugging his knees. Hoseok doesn’t know where the conversation could go, but luckily the other man beats him to it.

“Noodle.”

“What?”

Yoongi seems to be smiling under the facemask, by the way his eyes become little crescents. “You should name the chicken Noodle.”

Hoseok bursts into laughter. He doesn’t know why, but he can barely keep himself sitting up, it’s just hilarious. A chicken named Noodle. It’s silly and so absolutely dissonant from the man sitting on the other side of the glass, all in black with tattoos poking out from the long sleeves. He seems pleased with himself when Hoseok finally gathers himself, almost smug. 

“I’ll make sure to ask Miss Choi if that’s okay.”

Yoongi nods, then looks back at the kitchen. “Oh the water is boiling, I should finish the coffee.” He gets up, but before going away completely he turns to Hoseok, tilting his head slightly. “See you and Noodle here tomorrow?”

Two months in

There’s a tiny thing demanding Hoseok’s attention, and for once it’s not the chicken. It’s Taehyung’s puff of a purse dog, skidding on its little hind wheels, barking up at Noodle as if she has murdered his family. It scared the poor chicken so bad that Hoseok had to pick her up. 

“Oh, Hoseok-hyung, sorry for that.” Taehyung rushes out of the living room, smacking his side against the semi open door. He immediately picks the pomeranian up in his arms, and bops its nose. “Why are you making such a fuss, Tannie?” The dog immediately softens, barking back as if Taehyung could understand it. Taehyung  does nod to the dog as if he gets it though, so who knows. Then he pouts and looks upwards in thought. “I see, I see.” Finally he’s facing Hoseok again, a boxy smile so pretty it could melt anyone. “He apologizes, it’s just he has never encountered such a dignified lady as Noodle.”

Hoseok can’t help but laugh at that. Taehyung is a quirky person, but such a sweet one. Hoseok softly pats the top of Noodle’s head. “Understandable, Noodle really is something else.”

Taehyung chuckles back and then puts Yeontan back on the ground. “Would you and lady Noodle want to go for a walk around the garden with me and Tannie?” Yeontan himself looks a little bit displeased, grumpy even. Such a lazy pup.

Hoseok responds with an exaggerated bow. “We’d be honored.”

He's infinitely amused by their act, doing rounds on the yard arm in arm. They don't talk much, but the silence is comfortable. Taehyung seems to be enjoying himself too.

It feels like a silver lining of sorts. Hoseok doesn’t often think about how the world ended, not when they are here in this little pocket of normalcy. It makes him feel like he’s still on vacation, maybe the other shoe of life hasn’t quite dropped. But then his eyes catch the black veins that creep up Taehyung’s jaw. They can’t just pretend that everything is the same.

“Is everything okay, Hoseok-hyung?”

“Oh, yeah. Just got lost in thought.” He didn't use to be this introspective, maybe it’s because they finally got a therapist willing to take all of them. It has made Hoseok have to think about the situation they are in, and how he feels about it. “Tae-ah, how do you feel about all this?”

“What do you mean?”

“About our life here.”

Taehyung blinks slowly before shrugging. “We're alive. I have Jimin-ah. It’s not like there’s any other option for me? I’m actually very lucky that all of you have been so patient.” His tone makes Hoseok think of some of his father's students, trying to please and never be a bother.

“Patient?”

“I know I can be a lot. Oh, by the way I was meaning to thank you for being Jimin-ah's friend.” The way he shifts gears suddenly almost gives Hoseok whiplash. 

“Oh, it's no problem.”

Taehyung nods, pleased with himself and continues talking. “He should have more people around him, he’s so likable and I know I’m not always good company.” The cheerful self deprecation makes Hoseok’s heart sink a bit more. Maybe he’s reading too much into it, projecting his own insecurities into Taehyung. 

“You know Jimin loves you, right?”

“Yeah, but I’m not easy to like.”

Hoseok makes a mental note that they need to have a discussion, but right now, Noodle nuzzles herself more comfortably into Hoseok’s arms and Taehyung coos over her, apparently distracted by how cute she is. Yeontan barks once, clearly demanding his owner's attention back, and the young man quickly gives it over, hoisting the dog into his arms once again. 

“I should go back inside now, Jimin is probably looking for me.”

And just like a weird fairy Taehyung disappears back inside. Hoseok looks down at Noodle, who seems to be asleep. 

“There's a lot to unpack there, girl. I don't think we can handle it just yet.”

2 months and 28 days in

“Hoseok-ssi, can I sit with you?” Jungkook’s voice breaks Hoseok from his spell, zoning out looking up to the sky. It’s particularly cold today, but it’s not cloudy so he was just appreciating the stars and the moon. They shine so much brighter here than they did in his hometown, or in Seoul, even if they're blurry. 

He turns his head to see Jungkook a few steps away, all in black as usual, both hands deep in his hoodie's pocket. 

“Of course, Kookie!” He smiles and pats the deck next to where he’s seated. Jungkook gives him the most awkward smile in the world and sits down too.

Hoseok’s gaze shifts back to the night sky. He wonders how different they look to Jungkook, who doesn’t have to deal with the fact that nighttime makes it impossible to see basically anything. He's grateful to see them at all. 

Jungkook fidgets, sliding closer bit by bit until their arms are brushing against each other. 

“I’m sorry I haven’t been around you much, Hoseok-hyung.” 

“Huh?” He turns to face the teenager next to him, who’s looking down at his knees. “You're very busy, Kookie. You have to take care of six people, and make sure everything is in order. It’s okay that you don’t have enough time to hang out with me. Besides, I know it’s cold out here.”

“I don’t mind the cold.” Jungkook hurries to say, eyes wide. It’s so cute Hoseok wants to pinch those cheeks.

He waits as Jungkook is clearly organizing his thoughts or building up courage. By way he averts his gaze and chews on his bottom lip, Hoseok can almost hear the gears in his head turning and turning.

“I looked, hyung. I’m sorry.”

Jungkook sounds heartbroken, Hoseok is just confused.

“What?”

“I looked. You asked me to not look after you… were infected in the train. You begged me to not look, you made me promise. But I couldn’t hold my promise, I just couldn’t. And I’m so sorry for violating your trust.”

“Stop right there, JK.” He arranges them face to face, tipping Jungkook's chin to look in his eyes. “I told you, I don’t remember anything from the train.”

He thinks for a moment, trying to understand himself back then, but it doesn’t matter. Hoseok from the train thought he was going to die, and it wasn’t going to be a pretty sight. Makes sense that he would try to spare the kid, but that's over now.

“But…” His lip is quivering, his eyes are on the verge of tears, and Hoseok remembers how much of a mess this is. How this kid should probably not be taking so much weight onto his shoulders.

“I appreciate that you wanted to apologize, but I’m not hurt, or betrayed, or anything like that.” He keeps his voice even, doesn't look away. “I don’t remember and it doesn’t matter to me.”

He can tell the moment Jungkook believes his words, because all the tension releases, and he immediately hugs Hoseok. He’s big and strong, and yet he feels so young and fragile. For a moment, Hoseok remembers the kid he saw in interviews. 

They stay like that for quite a while until Jungkook pulls back, wiping tears off his face.

“Why don’t you stay in the tent with me tonight, Kookie? We can take off the tarp and still stargaze!”

The way he nods like an hyperactive little puppy is the sweetest thing. They crawl inside and Jungkook gets Bam to join them. Hoseok makes sure the makeshift skylight is open and they just lay next to each other, with Bam settled by Jungkook’s feet. 

“Did you have names for the stars when you were little, hyung? I used to name them with my parents when I was tiny.”

“You’re still tiny, Kookie.”

It’s fun to spend time with Jungkook, he genuinely likes the kid. They talk for hours, now that the awkwardness Hoseok hadn't noticed is gone. He doesn’t realize that they fall asleep like that, curled together in the quiet stillness of the winter night.

Until he wakes up to something pecking his chest.

Hoseok groans and rolls over. The tent feels so warm, and as he tries to sit up Noodle squawks, sinking her claws into his shirt and chest. 

“For fucks sake, Noodle. It’s so early.”

Next to him, Jungkook grumbles like a zombie- not a zombie, a grumpy kid.

“Hey, Kookie. Go to your room, finish getting your nap before medicine time, okay?” The boy nods sleepily and crawls out, not questioning why Hoseok is telling him what to do. 

Now he has Noodle to deal with. It’s absolutely ridiculous that this chicken keeps showing up when she doesn't even belong to them, and he probably should just have a talk with their neighbor about it. He loves Noodle, but it can’t be safe for her to keep wandering around like this during winter. 

He can’t go knocking on Miss Choi’s door though, so he stands by the garden wall, waiting for a bit until the woman shows up to check on the rest of the coop. He waves, a bit worried that she won’t want to interact with him since he’s not made up or really looking like a person right now.

“I just wanna hand her back, I can leave her here if you want? But you probably should figure out how she keeps escaping.”

The woman laughs and approaches him without hesitation, resting her hip against the wall and smiling. “You can keep her dear, she clearly loves you the best.”

It’s pretty silly how much this warms Hoseok up. “Really? Are you sure?”

“Really! I’m not gonna force her to marry a rooster when she chose such a fine young man now, how could I?”

She pinches his pale cheek and walks away, and the day somehow looks brighter already.