Chapter Text
it was barely 3pm but soobin felt like he had been awake for three consecutive lifetimes. the lax terminal was a blurry mess of silver poles and frantic travelers and the air outside was thick with that specific california heat that feels like a warm weighted blanket. he was currently standing on the curb with his arms full of bags, watching beomgyu try to balance a venti iced americano and a designer carry-on at the same time.
"soobin-ah, stop standing there looking like a lost puppy and help me with this," beomgyu huffed, his bangs sticking to his forehead. "i think my arm is literally going to fall off. like detached from the socket. gone forever."
"you’re the one who insisted on bringing the limited edition boots, gyu," soobin muttered, though he still reached out to hook the strap of the extra bag over his own shoulder. "i told you three pairs was enough. we're here for a week, not a year."
chaewon stepped up beside them, adjusting her sunglasses with a flick of her wrist. she looked effortlessly cool in a way that made soobin feel even more like a crumpled piece of paper. "leave him alone, soobin-oppa. he needs his options for the aesthetic. although, beomgyu, if you complain one more time about the walk to the rental car, i am actually going to leave you at the terminal."
"you wouldn't," beomgyu gasped, clutching his chest. "taehyunie, tell her she’s being a bully."
taehyun didn't even look up from his phone. he was leaning against a concrete pillar, his thumb flying across the screen as he navigated the rental car app. "she's being a realist. and the shuttle is exactly forty-five seconds away. soobin, did you get the confirmation code?"
soobin fumbled for his phone in his pocket, his fingers feeling like sausages. "uh, yeah. hold on. let me find the email. my brain is still somewhere over the pacific ocean."
"it's okay, hyung," taehyun said, finally looking up with a small, sympathetic smile. "we'll get to the house, we'll get some food, and you can pass out. just don't drive us into a palm tree on the way there."
"no promises," soobin joked weakly.
the shuttle ride was a fever dream. beomgyu spent the entire ten minutes trying to convince chaewon to do a dance challenge for his vlog in the middle of the aisle.
"come on, chae, the lighting is actually kind of gritty and cool in here," beomgyu pleaded, waving his phone in her face. "just the chorus. people will love it. the fans are starving."
"beomgyu, i am starving. that is the only thing that matters right now," chaewon shot back, pushing his phone away. "if i do a challenge right now, it’s going to be a video of me eating your phone. sit down before you fall on a stranger."
soobin just closed his eyes and leaned his head against the vibrating window. he could hear taehyun whispering something to beomgyu, probably trying to bribe him with the promise of a burger if he stayed quiet for five minutes.
when they finally reached the rental lot, the sun was hitting the pavement in a way that made everything look bleached. they found their suv—a massive, sparkling white beast that looked way too intimidating for soobin’s peace of mind.
"i am not driving this," soobin said immediately, staring at the car. "it’s huge. it’s a tank. i’m going to hit a mailbox."
"you're the only one with the international license that actually works for this category, hyung," taehyun pointed out, tossing him the keys. "unless you want beomgyu to drive, but i’d like to see my twenty-fourth birthday."
"hey!" beomgyu shouted from the back where he was already trying to figure out how to fold the seats down. "i am a very focused driver! i just get distracted by nice scenery! and dogs!"
"exactly," chaewon said, sliding into the passenger seat before anyone else could claim it. "shotgun! soobin-oppa, put on some music. i need something to drown out the sound of my own stomach growling."
soobin climbed into the driver’s seat, feeling like he was sitting on top of a mountain. the interior smelled like new leather and lemon cleaner. he spent a good five minutes just trying to figure out how to put the car in park before they even started moving.
"okay, we’re going," soobin announced to the car at large, gripping the wheel at ten and two. "everyone pray. beomgyu, stop kicking the back of my seat."
"i'm not kicking it, i'm vibrating with excitement," beomgyu chirped.
the drive to west hollywood was forty minutes of soobin sweating through his shirt while navigating five lanes of aggressive california drivers. chaewon acted as a chaotic navigator, screaming "turn left! no, the other left!" every three minutes, while beomgyu and taehyun argued in the back about whether or not they should stop at an in-n-out immediately or wait until they got to the house.
"we need to see the house first," taehyun argued. "what if the fridge is broken? what if there’s no water? we need to assess the situation."
"the situation is that i am hungry, taehyunie," beomgyu whined. "look at that sign. the arrow is literally pointing at us. it’s a destiny thing."
"we are not stopping for destiny right now," soobin said, his voice a little strained as he narrowly missed a cyclist. "we are going to the airbnb. i am going to park this monster, and then we can talk about food."
by the time they pulled into the narrow driveway of the stucco house, soobin’s nerves were shot. the house was cute—covered in purple bougainvillea with a bright yellow door—but all he could think about was the bed. they hauled the bags inside, the sound of their sneakers echoing on the hardwood floors.
"dibs on the room with the balcony!" beomgyu yelled, sprinting up the stairs with surprising energy for someone who was "dying" ten minutes ago.
"not if i get there first!" chaewon shouted, dropping her makeup bag and bolting after him.
the house was suddenly filled with the sound of doors slamming and muffled arguments about thread counts. soobin just stood in the kitchen, staring at the marble countertop. it was beautiful, but it was empty.
taehyun walked in, opening the fridge door with a hopeful expression that quickly turned into a frown. "well. the good news is the fridge works. the bad news is the only thing in here is a single packet of ketchup and a crusty baking soda box."
soobin leaned his forehead against the cool surface of the counter. "i just want to sleep, hyun."
"i know, hyung, but you haven't eaten since the plane. and you know you get cranky when your blood sugar drops," taehyun said, poking soobin’s arm. "come on. there’s a grocery store three blocks away. we’ll just get the essentials. water, eggs, and your milk."
soobin lifted his head, his eyes brightening just a little bit at the mention of it. "strawberry milk?"
"yes, strawberry milk," taehyun laughed. "the pinker the better. i’ll even let you get the expensive glass bottle kind since you survived the drive. let’s go before the other two realize we’re leaving and try to make us buy them five boxes of cereal."
soobin grabbed his keys again, a small spark of motivation finally kicking in. "okay. fine. but if i see a palm tree on the way there, i’m not looking at it. i’ve seen enough for one day."
"deal," taehyun said, leading the way back to the door.