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“Taehyung-ah… what?” Jin asks, already incredulous.
Already! He’s only just started telling them the plan.
“Hyung, you didn’t let me finish,” Taehyung pouts.
“Not the eyes.” Jimin’s hand quickly covers as much of his face as one small hand can manage, breaking the cloudy pout into a sunshine smile, giggles and all.
“Tae-yah,” Yoongi mumbles, half asleep on the couch in Namjoon’s studio. “The managers are never going to okay a trip right now. We’re way too busy. Maybe after the comeback.”
“It sounds like fun though,” Hoseok reassures, pulling Taehyung by the hand until he can tuck in between Yoongi and Hoseok on the couch.
“But they already have.”
“Have what?” Namjoon asks, still half focused on the track he’s been noodling on since they all barged in.
“Agreed,” Taehyung mumbles, feet now kicked up into Yoongi’s lap, big warm hands rubbing gently at his ankles in mindless muscle memory. “They said we could go.”
“Wait, really?” Jimin asks.
“When?” Jungkook finally lifts his head from where it was resting against Seokjin’s thigh.
“In like two weeks.”
The room erupts into their usual level of chaos. There’s excitement and worry and confusion and pre-planning, and in the midst of it, Taehyung just smiles to himself. They work so hard, and he’s happy he could make this happen.
…..
They’re expected to film.
It’s not ideal. Taehyung had hoped for a quiet and comfortable little trip for them, but it’s not unexpected. If cameras are the price to pay for some time away, he will be sure there is plenty of content for the editors to pick through so when they decide to turn them off or “accidentally” leave the handhelds behind, they’ll only get a small slap on the wrist. They can still have a good time.
Their little caravan bumps along the old road winding up the mountain. It’s already so scenic and peaceful, the sunbeams warming Taehyung’s face pressed against the window. Seokjin is already planning his and Yoongi’s fishing excursion for as soon as everything is set up and unpacked. Namjoon is asleep in the seat to Taehyung’s left, book slowly falling out of his lax hand. Jungkook is singing along to whatever song pops into his head, a nice accompaniment to the hum of the engine and the vrrm of the tires on asphalt. Easier to not have much music playing unless it’s theirs. Trained to make the process more seamless. It could be a sad thought if he dwelled on it, but today is the first day of vacation, and maybe if they have enough car footage, it will help bulk things up. He leans into the view of the camera set up in front of him, makes some cute faces and then leans over to allow himself to doze off against Namjoon’s shoulder.
…..
“Taehyung-ah, wake up,” Namjoon rumbles out in his deep barely awake voice. Taehyung tries to curl further into Namjoon’s warm body, but the seat belt digs into his side and reminds him where he is.
He sits up, eyes puffy with sleep, but they widen comically, taking in the beautiful surroundings.
Namjoon has already gathered his things and is slipping out of the car. Jungkook is skipping around the open space they’ll be setting up camp in, Yoongi directing where things should go and Hoseok and Seokjin are already pulling out food to cobble together a quick lunch. Staff flutters around the edges, cameras already pointed at each member, drones being hoisted into the air. They’ll at least be leaving shortly and staying in the cabins they probably passed while he was asleep. They’ll get some initial interviews, set up the cameras and then it will just be them .
Well, and the cameras.
His door is pulled open, the gentle breeze ruffling his hair. “Come on, slowpoke,” Jimin sings, all big smiles, and crescent eyes. He holds out his hand and Taehyung takes it easier than anything, like there are little magnets at the ends of their fingers.
It’s a relatively small clearing, the lake on one side and the dense trees on the other. The silty banks stretch in either direction, until they too are swallowed by either water or woods. The central spot, now covered in bags and crates and cameras and Bangtan, is grassy but relatively well kept blending at the edges into wild grassy fields, bright splashes of color dotting the vibrant green.
“It’s so pretty.”
“You picked a good spot,” Jimin agrees, squeezing his hand.
They join the others gathered around one of the directors. He hands a radio set up over to Namjoon.
“We’ll be just ten minutes down the road, so call if you need anything. We’ll stop by each day to swap out camera batteries and check on you, do some interviews, the usual.” Similar to In The Soop then. Limited crew, maximum Tannie energy. Just like ARMY loves. “Cameras are going to be set up around the camp site, each of you has a handheld, please make sure you take it with you-” A glance in Jungkook’s direction. “-and the black tubs over there have cameras that can go in the tents once they are set up. Extra batteries and charging stations are also in there… and I think that’s it. We’ll stay and get some footage, then start pulling you for interviews in like an hour.”
One of the PAs has already scampered over and is talking animatedly with the director as they walk back towards the semicircle of cameras and crew.
“Wanna share a tent?” Jimin asks.
“Hoba has a plan,” Yoongi tells them, walking by with a bundle of firewood. “Jungkook-ah, over here.”
Jungkook bounds over with more bundles of firewood and a comical number of folding chairs slung over his back like some sort of post apocalyptic warrior whose chosen weapon is canvas folding chairs most commonly used for camping and viewing children’s sporting games.
“Hyung!” Jimin calls out, marching through the campsite with Taehyung still in tow.
“Jimin-ah!” Hoseok mimics back. Seokjin already has the grill going, carton of prepped samgyeopsal at hand, Hoseok chopping veggies next to him.
“What’re the sleeping arrangements?”
“We’re split by what we said we wanted to do in the meeting last week.”
“What did I say?” Seokjin asks, still focused on grilling meat.
“Well, you actually said you wanted to return to nature and have a hammock in the trees.” Seokjin’s head whips to look at Hoseok, bewildered. “But, I had assumed you didn’t actually mean that and I have you in with Yoongi for early morning fishing.”
Shoulders dropping in relief, Seokjin is sure to put on a disgruntled face. “Put me and Yoongi both in the trees, we’re bears, it’s where we belong.”
“You’re a twunk at best,” Hoseok mutters, moving the chopped vegetables into a container and prepping lettuce for wraps.
Seokjin takes a deep, obnoxiously audible breath, mouth open, eyebrows to hairline. Jimin quickly pops a cucumber slice into his mouth before he can derail them any further. “Okay, so where are me and Taetae?”
“Jiminie is with me and Jungkookie, Tae is with Namjoonie.”
“What did me and hyung pick?” Taehyung asks. Seokjin isn’t the only one with barely any memory of that early morning meeting over a week ago.
“Actually neither of you really picked anything, said you just wanted to relax and enjoy nature.”
“Oh. Yeah, that feels like a me answer.”
“Mmhmm,” Hoseok agrees. “So you two are my actual baby bears.” Hoseok shines one of his biggest heart shaped smiles in Taehyung’s direction.
“Don’t let ARMY hear you taking sides,” Seokjin teasingly warns.
“Uh! I want to be a bear,” Jimin complains.
“Tigerbear is the only real answer.” Taehyung says at the same time as Hoseok says “but you’re my sweet baby chick.”
“Yeah, Jimin-ah, you always make me feel like I’m being pecked to death by chickens.”
Jimin steps up to Seokjin. He doesn’t even let go of Taehyung’s hand.
“Shall I remember that the next time your pants are around your ankles?”
Seokjin’s blush rushes from his ears to his neck in record time.
“I-if you’re on your knees, I don’t really care what you remember,” Seokjin stutters through some false bravado.
Jimin looks endeared though, and lets him off the hook. “Well that I will definitely remember.”
Seokjin rolls his eyes, but greedily accepts the kiss Jimin rushes to press to his lips. Hoseok gives a gentle shove, eyes on the staff. Everyone on this trip with them have been on the team for years now, and they’re trustworthy as far as anyone outside of the seven of them really can be, but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious. By the time they’ve pulled back from each other, only the span of a sharp breath catching in Taehyung’s chest, Jungkook appears in the gap left between pursed lips. Big eyes track them, unblinking.
“Close your mouth before it catches flies,” Jimin teases.
“Yoongi-hyung wants to know if you want us to build the other tents,” Jungkook says, probably to Hoseok, still slack jawed.
“Build the central part and Joon and Taehyung-ah’s tent but leave ours for after we eat.”
“We can just finish them all now I think,” Jungkook offers. “Maybe hyung and Jimin-ssi want to come see the inside of the ten-“
“Just say you want to watch them kiss and go,” Taehyung laughs. Jungkook breaks his staring contest with Seokjin’s lips just long enough to glare at Taehyung.
It only makes him laugh harder.
Like sunlight hitting a perfectly cresting wave of the lake, there’s a sharp shine in Jungkook’s eyes that Taehyung is only just barely quick enough to catch before the resident muscle bunny is bounding after him.
They take off at an alarming and haphazard speed, Taehyung losing his sandals in the process. Fully committed to the chase, Taehyung heads for the water. He knows Jungkook won’t follow after in his chunky shoes and designer baggy denim, but Taehyung has already lost his shoes, he has nothing more to lose.
The shore of the lake is almost sandy, his toes squish into it, only a small biting sting of some grittier pebbles on the souls of his feet. His smile stretches wide, victory within his grasp-
Until strong arms grab him around the waist and hoist him into the air.
Peels of giggles and screeching theatrics fill the air. Taehyung feels weightless, suspended in the universe for just a moment before gravity catches up to him. Jungkook overcorrects and they tip sideways, directly into the water.
Taehyung is still laughing maniacally, the sight of Jungkook to hilarious, the picture perfect image of a soaked kitten.
“Hh! My phone!” Jungkook scrambles up, crawling back onto the shore. He pats all over his body, even places he’d never be keeping a phone. Well. Most likely anyway. “Please tell me someone has my phone.”
“Hoba has it I think,” Namjoon says, causing both of them to swing their heads in his direction. “He had a stack of them earlier.”
Jungkook’s eyes light up. He jumps up, jeans heavy with lake water and rushes to Namjoon, planting a wet kiss to his cheek. “Hyung! You’re the best!”
“Where’s mine?” Taehyung pouts, still sitting in the water.
“Kiss a fish!” Jungkook calls out as he scampers away, bright cackling filling the air and making Taehyung smile despite the rude comment.
Namjoon offers him a hand, pulling Taehyung out of the water. “Yoongi wants to know if we want to build our tent ourselves.” Taehyung makes a face that has Namjoon’s dimples popping out. “He said it’s good for getting some camera time.”
“Mmm.” Taehyung doesn’t offer more than that. It’s always been a double edged sword. But for Namjoon and the others, and ARMY, he can power through anything. “Let’s go.”
Yoongi stands watching Jungkook shake the water off of him like a wet dog, a fond smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. There’s a single two-person tent, perfectly erected and attached to a large vestibule, windows curled and fastened precisely, allowing the breeze to move through the structure. Taehyung imagines that by the end of it, they will look like a space colony, little astronauts in a great big universe, here to analyze the flora and fauna.
“Your tent is that bag over there,” Yoongi tells them when he notices they’re walking in his direction. “Don’t forget to lay down the bottom tarp first.”
“Do we have towels?” Jungkook asks.
“Yeah, I saw the staff carrying bags of swim stuff and product placement stuff for later. I think it might be where you grabbed the chairs from.”
Yoongi leads a grumpy Jungkook back towards where Seokjin and Hoseok are still cooking.
“Shall we?”
Taehyung smiles at Namjoon, nodding. They’ll make quick work of it!
…..
They do not make quick work of it.
It took no time to find the bottom layer and roll it out, tugging it close to the other opening of the center tent. The hexagonal base made it easy to tell they had lined it up correctly. So far, so good. Maybe they were a little cocky. Maybe they hammed it up for the camera operators and drones a little too much.
“I can’t tell which direction this is supposed to go. Is it upside down?”
“I don’t know, hyung. Should the buckles be on the outside?”
Taehyung wonders if the tent feels like it’s in a washing machine with how many times they flip it over and over, round and round, until Hoseok walks by-
“The little sleeves for the poles go on the outside, I think.”
“Little sleeves?” Namjoon whispers.
They find the little sleeves , long loops of fabric that are apparently for the poles…
“Guess I’ll look for poles?” Taehyung offers.
His stomach is starting to growl and he hasn’t done an interview yet. He’s ready for this to be over so the vacation part can actually begin.
“Your savior has arrived,” Seokjin announces dramatically. He’s carrying a plate of something, Jimin in tow with cold beverages. “Triangle kimbap and Chilsung.”
“For our hard workers,” Jimin adds.
“I’m in love with you,” Taehyung says to no one in particular, but also a little bit to all of them.
“Who’s cooking? Is food ready?” Namjoon asks, mouth full of kimbap.
“Yah! So ungrateful! I literally brought you food, what do you think you’re eating right now? Well wishes?”
“Yoongi-hyung and Jungkookie are finishing up. Hobi-hyung is with staff right now.”
The snack has them reinvigorated, and while Seokjin goes back to help Yoongi, Jimin stays to lend a helping hand. They make quick work of inserting the poles and it’s starting to actually look like a tent now. Taehyung figures out which hole is the door to connect to the center vestibule and between the three of them, they get the tent placed correctly and buckle the bottom layer to the top.
“Jimin-ah, your turn,” Hoseok calls out, sending Jimin skipping away to get his interview done.
“We didn’t need him for this anyway,” Namjoon says, head poking out of the other door. It’s kind of him to say, but is only even a little true because they’re basically done. Taehyung hands him a few things through the opening, Namjoon’s socked feet sliding on the nylon.
“Do you think we’ll need the top tarp… whatever it’s called?”
Namjoon sticks his head out again, hairline sweaty, and squints at the sky. He disappears for a second, but quickly returns, cell phone in hand. “It’s not supposed to rain…”
Taehyung looks at the other tent. “Yoongi-hyung and Jungkook put theirs on.”
“Hmmm. Better safe than sorry, right?”
Taehyung nods. Namjoon steps back into his shoes and together, they flap and flop the tarp into place, clipping it to the poles as they go. Namjoon gives it a look like he doesn’t think it’s on right, but it’s covering the windows enough that it will keep rain out should it storm. He can feel some sort of existential crisis coming on when Yoongi calls their names.
“Food’s ready!”
“It’s good enough for now,” Namjoon says with a shrug and they hurry to zip shut the doors and run over to the outdoor communal space that the others must have set up while they were fighting with the tent.
There’s an unlit fire, hoisted off the ground on metal mesh, seven canvas chairs in a loose semi circle around it. To the side are two big plastic picnic tables, one laden with food and random supplies, and the other with a table top grill and multiple coolers of varying sizes. Things are being shifted around and Yoongi and Seokjin are just turning off the grill when Taehyung and Namjoon get there.
Some metal bowls of banchan get slid around- kimchi and pickled radish and spicy cucumbers. Heaps of rice come down from above as if gifts from the angels. And Taehyung supposes they are, cradled gently in the hands of his members as they are. Tupperware filled with a variety of chopped vegetables are placed at either end of the table, the leafy lettuce spilling over the top, a beautiful bounty. A modern Korean cornucopia.
Taehyung sits back and lets his hyungs heap his plate with grilled meat and pajeon.
This is his favorite part of anything, and not just because of the delicious meal. His heart is never more full than when he gets to watch the loves of his life smile, cheeks full of food prepared with love. Laughter and silly bickering ring out in bursts between the quiet appreciation of what’s right in front of them. And once again, he doesn’t really mean the food.
It takes little time for bowls to be emptied, plates scraped clean. Jungkook quickly relights the grill, tossing ramyun into the leftover char of meat, adding water and seasoning and letting it cook down. Another round of moving food from plate to plate, an outpouring of love in the shape of noodles.
They’re nearly done cleaning up when the first droplets begin to bounce off their cheeks and noses. Leisurely, sleepy movements becoming frantic barely controlled chaos. When all of the food and cooking supplies are verifiably put away, they scramble towards the tents. The third sleeping tent hadn’t even been set up yet, and only Yoongi and Seokjin’s was actually fully completed- beds made, luggage shoved in the corner and one of the camera set ups with the sensor, head swiveling as they pour into the main vestibule, zipping the other three sides behind them.
Hoseok, like a god of old bestowing gifts, passes around the towels he managed to grab in the scurry, laying down the last one to pull shoes in out of the rain and line along the bright purple material.
“Good thing we put the cover on,” Namjoon says, shuffling to sit on the end of what appears to be Seokjin’s bed, if the RJ stuffy is anything to go by.
“You should have connected it to the main tent so you didn’t have to sit on my bed,” Seokjin counters.
“We didn’t actually make it as far as setting up the beds anyway.”
“Should we try to connect them,” Taehyung asks, eyeing the nylon door vibrating with rain patter. It almost seems as if the rain beats against the material harder at the mere thought of opening one of the doors.
“We don’t want more water to get inside the tents than what’s already gotten in,” Yoongi says, clicking on a battery powered lamp and hooking it to a loop near the top of the tent.
It’s not especially late in the day, but the storm casts deep shadows, diffused through the filter of the tent.
“Do we have cameras in here?” Hoseok asks.
“Yeah, that tub over there should have another one of the swivel heads,” Seokjin says, craning around Jungkook to gesture for where to look.
“Jimin-ah, help me with this.”
Jungkook ends up helping to heft the heavy thing while everyone else does their best to shuffle everything else out of the way. The center vestibule is large enough for all of them to comfortably sit around, if only they had anything set up yet to actually make sitting comfortable. Hoseok eventually gets the camera in a reasonable spot to capture what the camera is Yoongi and Seokjin’s tent can’t.
“Hopefully that’s good enough.”
“Do you think the crew was able to take cover?” Jungkook asks.
A loud static noise answers him.
“The radio.” Everyone looks at Namjoon. “It’s in the tub outside of our tent I think.”
“So we should brave it then, huh?” Seokin asks, sprawled across his bed behind Namjoon.
“Who’s we, hyung?” Taehyung teases, reaching over to pull on one of his toes. It makes Seokjin squeal, which in turn sends everyone into giggles.
“It doesn’t sound as bad out there.” Hoseok even unzips the door just a little to be sure. “Oh, wrong side.”
“Wrong side for what?” Yoongi asks, finally looking up from the weather radar he had been studying.
“For Joon-ah’s tent.”
“And mine!”
“Joon-ah and Taehyungie’s tent.” Hoseok reaches over to ruffle Taehyung’s hair.
“That's definitely the right side…”
Yoongi and Namjoon both scramble over, unzipping the door further, the damp breeze rolling into the tent.
“Where’s the tent?” Namjoon asks, voice almost monotone.
Yoongi unzips each of the sides just enough to see out of them. The cross breeze makes the tent shudder and sway. When he’s finally looked out the last one, he stands stock-still, the perfect NPC posture, his cute little mouth slack with confusion.
“I’m gonna make a run for the radio,” Jimin says, face nearly plugging up the first unzipped hole. “I can see the tub and it’s not far.”
“Give me your towel and I’ll hold the door,” Taehyung offers. “Less time with you in the rain and hopefully I can still keep out some water.”
Jimin nods. Hoseok looks like he wants to argue, but in the end, they all gather around the door and brace for Jimin to rush into the storm.
It’s over so quickly. Jimin dashes, hefts the tub up and waddles the short distance back to the tent. Jungkook takes the tub and Jimin is immediately engulfed in the driest towel left and Taehyung hurries to get the door zipped again.
“I didn't see another tent,” Jimin huffs out from deep within a fluffy tent held in place by Yoongi and Hoseok. “But, the staff were all in the cars as far as I could tell.”
Namjoon pops open the tub and rummages until he finds the radio. He presses the button until a bright chirp comes from the device. “Team?”
“ Ah, Namjoon-ah, everyone okay in there?” The director asks. “We saw Jimin-ah come out, is he alright? ”
“I’m fine!”
“He says he’s fine. I think we’re all okay, just a little damp and a little cramped,” he tries to joke.
“ We saw one of the tents blow away. Was there anything important in there?”
“It blew away?” Jungkook’s eyes get extra wide.
“Did you stake it down?” Yoongi asks Namjoon, eyes darting between him and Taehyung.
They look at each other and then back at Yoongi.
“No.”
Seokjin starts squeaky laughing, Namjoon looks kind of horrified and Taehyung can feel his cheeks warming up with shame. “I didn’t know it needed to be staked.” He kind of feels like he could cry, like he’s disappointed everyone in this tent, the most important people in his life.
“It’s okay, Tae-yah,” Yoongi murmurs like a promise. “We should have all built them together. We should have done that first thing.”
“Okay, none of that,” Hoseok cuts him off, wrapping his arms around Yoongi and pulling Taehyung to tuck in with them. “We need a plan.”
“Maybe we can chase down the tent.” Jungkook already looks ready to run through the rain.
“Which way did the tent blow?” Namjoon asks into the radio, in full leader mode.
“ Into the lake.” Well damn. “We’ll try to catch it with the boats later, but there’s lightning. It will have to wait.”
“Are we safe in here with lightning?” Hoseok asks, trying to rein in his obvious panic.
“Getting struck by lightning is a one in over a million chance,” Yoongi tells him. “We don’t have a Faraday Cage system to protect us, but we’re not under any trees that might lose limbs if they’re struck, and I saw what might be lightning rods spaced around the property. They must get storms regularly.”
“Is the lightning close?” Namjoon asks the staff.
“ No, we’re being overly cautious. If the storm gets worse or the lightning gets closer, we’ll get you into the cars.” There’s a pause. Namjoon seems to be thinking it over. “ We can call it at any time.”
Taehyung feels it like a punch to the gut. He can feel the other’s eyes on him.
“We’ll stick it out unless it becomes unsafe.” Namjoon says into the radio. He smiles directly at Taehyung. “We’re all looking forward to this trip.”
…..
The rain eventually eases. Only a couple rounds of Seokjin destroying them at Halli Galli and the staff is giving them the all clear.
Wet earth gives under their feet when they finally emerge. It feels like Taehyung can finally breathe deeply again. At the edge of the clearing, the sky shimmers with color. Seven bands of prismatic light, the last of which means they’ll keep going for a long time. Forever.
Taehyung and Namjoon’s tent is nowhere to be found. A couple of staff head out on the boat but return empty handed. Luckily, they hadn’t gotten as far as putting anything important in the tent. Maybe if they had, the tent would have been weighed down enough to stay put.
As it is, the others all take turns trying to make him feel better.
“It’s just a tent and some sleeping stuff.”
“Good thing your bags were still in the car! I would have loaned you clothes, but-”
“You can just share with us.”
“Hoba has a whole, elaborate plan for their tent, so you’re stuck slumming with us,” Yoongi agrees with Seokjin.
They take the inflated pads off the cots and place them on the ground. Hoseok supplies them with a large plush rug, bright blue with winding lines of deep green, giving the impression of water currents. It nearly covers the entire tent floor, cushioning every step they take and hopefully making for comfortable sleeping.
Yoongi throws down a mat at the door that leads to the outside, repositions the camera set up and puts away the folded cots. Seokjin and Namjoon work to make the bedding a little more functional for four, adding in the blankets and pillows that never quite made it inside of the runaway tent. Taehyung tries to be helpful and lugs the bags from the car, placing each one in a line along the free edge of the tent, as much out of the way as possible.
He pokes his head into the other sleeping tent when he sees the panel unzip, their little world extending ever so slightly. Like the map of a video game revealing to him new places to explore. It’s a bit larger than either of the other two sleep tents are…were… which seems reasonable given it was originally the tent that would have held the most people.
“Over there, Jungkook-ah,” Hoseok directs. “Taehyungie-ah, do you guys need anything else?” He comes over and wraps Taehyung up in a hug while he waits for his answer.
Taehyung isn’t really sure, feels like Yoongi would be the better person to ask. He surveys what they’ve done so far.
There’s a thick rug spread across the floor of the tent, much like in the other, except in here, it’s green and shaggy, giving the appearance of grass under Jimin’s bare feet. Other, smaller mats have been laid over top in strategic places, different shades of green and brown and yellow, dotted with brightly colored flowers, as if nature had snuck itself into the tent, blanketing the nylon with moss, field and flora.
“Isn’t it cute, Taetae?” Jimin asks, toes scrunching in the tufts.
“Hyung wanted to do what the camping vloggers do,” Jungkook adds.
“Oh, we watched some of those on the plane.” Taehyung looks at Hoseok to be sure he’s remembering correctly. He’s answered with a bright heart shaped smile.
“Yeah! The cute couple with the fun aesthetics. I wanted to do that.”
“It’s like a little hobbit hole or something,” Jimin giggles, sprawling out on the rugs.
“What do you know about hobbit holes?” Taehyung laughs, nudging Jimin with his foot.
“I’m dating Yoongi, I know everything.”
It makes them all bust out laughing. “You’re not any taller than him,” Jungkook snorts.
Jimin sits straight up, a look of shock, nay, befuddlement, his mouth open as if Jungkook had denounced their entire relationship. “I’m definitely taller than him.”
“In your boots, sure.”
“Hello. This is Big Hit Music,” Jimin says in a silly, almost robotic voice. “We regret to inform you that BTS member, Jungkook, mysteriously disappeared on a camping trip-“
Jungkook oong’s very pathetically, mouth pouted but eyebrows furrowed in offense.
“-Unfortunately, he could not be found and the group will go on as a sextet.”
“What was that about sex?” Seokjin calls from the other tent. Taehyung leans over to get a clear view of him, sprawled across both sleeping pads and not even looking their way.
“What’s with you today?” Hoseok laughs.
“Get your mind out of the gutter, hyung!”
“I’ll put you in the gutter! We’re coming back as a quinceanera!”
“I don’t think that’s the right word,” Taehyung laughs.
Seokjin lifts just his head to glare at Taehyung. “Looks like the vocal line is down to one.”
Jungkook scurries through the tent opening, socked feet making little swishing sounds.
“You stop right ther-ah!”
Seokjin’s ludicrous threats are a bit muffled under a swan dived Jungkook.
“We’re seven or nothing,” Yoongi says, kicking off his slides and coming back into the tent.
“Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursda-aaaah haha,” Jungkook breaks down into raucous laughter as Seokjin wrestles him, making a mess of the bedding and managing to kick over one of the suitcases nearby.
“Do you have shelves big enough for our bags?” Taehyung asks Hoseok.
He ends up taking a bunch of random stuff back to the other tent. Shelves and decorative pillows and some fairy lights. Seokjin and Jungkook have taken their shenanigans outside, he can hear Seokjin’s admonishments and Jungkook’s laughter overlapping each other in some of Taehyung’s favorite harmonies.
The shelves are perfect and he arranges the bags in different configurations until he’s satisfied with the lineup, leaving the spots easiest to access comfortably for his hyungs. He remakes the beds, maybe not quite as nicely as Yoongi had them, but with the decorative pillows, it looks nice. The fairy lights are nearly done being hung up when Namjoon pokes his head into the tent and tells him it’s his turn to interview. He loops the last part of the strand, finds his shoes and emerges from their little home away from home for the first time in hours.
Yoongi is inspecting and prepping fishing gear for tomorrow. Seokjin is asleep in a freestanding hammock that someone must have put together while he was toiling away in the tent. Jimin and Hoseok were still debating inflatable chair placements when he left. That leaves Jungkook doing whatever he’s doing and Namjoon who was definitely eyeing the beds when he came for Taehyung. If he had to guess, he’ll probably find him either passed out or halfway through a book when he looks later.
…..
Interviews are interviews.
They’re all more or less the same. What are you planning to do? What are you most excited for? How has the trip been so far?
Tedious.
But it’s the price they’re paying for this trip, so he answers like he always does. Some reading and relaxing and getting to spend quality time with his members. The food always tastes best when cooked by his hyungs and this is a beautiful setting for good food. They’ve had better starts to trips, but hey, they’ve also had worse, as long as everyone is happy and healthy and safe, then it’s a perfect trip so far.
He wraps with the team, giving them a little more fluff to work with, some playful razzing of the others and even dragging Yoongi into it when he passes by looking for a little cooler of bait that was supposedly brought.
It’s the last solo interview, so the staff start to pack up. One of the PA’s checks the placement of the swivel heads, both from the monitoring tablet and by sticking her head in the tents. They get some additional shots and ensure batteries are strong on all the mics and handhelds. They get the usual spiel on what they need to do as if they haven’t been doing this for a decade, and then suddenly they’re all gone, and it’s just the seven of them, and the universe tips on it’s axis and everything feels good and right.
“Your tent is really cute, Taetae,” Jimin comments as he comes over to dig through a cooler for something to drink.
“Thanks, is hyung in there still?”
“Yeah. Sleeping. It’s part of what makes it so cute.”
They share sweet little smiles, knowing how hard Namjoon works and how precious downtime is for him. For all of them, really.
“Does anyone know where Jungkook is?” Hoseok asks, joining them for a crisp Chilsung, label out at all times because he’s as professional as they come. “I need his muscles.” Jimin opens his mouth, a little smirk at the edges and a sparkle of mischief in his eye. “Not another word out of you, Park Jimin. I’ve had enough of your dirty mind on this trip.”
It makes Jimin laugh. “I’ll behave, hyung. I can be a good boy.”
“Oh my god. Go away, you’re giving me heartburn.”
“Is it because your heart burns for him, hyung?” Taehyung jumps in.
“It’s always the cute ones you have to watch out for,” Hoseok sighs forlornly. He pats Taehyung’s face. “I thought I could trust you.”
Teahyung gives him his best puppy dog eyes. “Of course you can trust me.”
It has the intended effect and Hoseok softens immediately and sincerely. “You know I do. I trust all of you.” And just when Taehyung thinks they might be having a moment, Hoseok goes back into filming mode and tells them, “Get out of here before I put you to work instead of Jungkook.”
Jimin scampers off, trying to find a way to climb onto the hammock with Seokjin without tipping them over. Taehyung back hugs Hoseok as he checks the coolers to take stock of what they have.
“If you need help, hyung, I don’t mind.”
Hoseok hums, leaning back into Taehyung’s arms. “This helps.”
“Yeah?”
“Mmhmm.” He breathes out a long sigh. “I’m having a good time, I promise.”
“I know.”
“It’s just hard when…”
“Yeah, it is.” The balance is hard to keep on these trips. There’s the real them, relaxed and honest and boisterous in their love, and while they aren’t really not them for shoots like these, they’re a tempered version of themselves. For Hoseok, it’s especially challenging. The tidy boxes of his life get a little rumpled when they’re technically still working but the others have decided to treat it like an actual vacation. Taehyung knows it’s draining for him.
“If you get uncomfortable in there tonight, there’s plenty of room in our tent.”
“In your bed?” He means it innocently and he knows Hoseok hears it.
“If that’s where you want to sleep.”
“Will you let me hold you?”
“You’re holding me now,” he laughs.
“Yeah,” Taehyung says smugly.
“Has anyone seen Jungkook,” Yoongi asks them, grabbing a drink from the cooler. “He said he wanted to cook for us tonight and I want to make sure we have everything he needs.”
“I was looking for him too.” There’s a pregnant pause while the words hang heavy in the air. “When was the last time anyone saw him?”
“He was squatted by the trees trying to talk to a squirrel earlier,” Yoongi says, eyes glued to a spot by the treeline.
“Jimin-ah,” Hoseok calls out, turning out of Taehyung’s arms to walk towards Jimin and Seokjin, now cozy on the hammock and watching something on one of their phones. They turn their heads in unison. “Do you know where Jungkook-ah is?”
“He was walking with one of the handhelds.”
“Maybe he’s back in the tents?” Taehyung suggests. Yoongi walks over to peek inside while Seokjin and Jimin work on getting safely back out of the hammock. Yoongi is quiet when he disappears inside of the zipper door.
It feels like an eternity.
Namjoon unexpectedly emerges, puffy and sleep ruffled, but eyes wild as he stumbles into his shoes, Yoongi following after.
“Jungkook,” Namjoon’s deep, sleep rough voice calls out.
Everyone stands stock still, waiting.
There’s no response.
As if choreographed, they disperse into every direction in perfect synchronization, eyes sharp and voices calling out for the maknae.
Taehyung approaches the edge of the woods. His steps falter a bit. “Jungkook-aaaahhh.”
“I think we should buddy up,” Namjoon says, just behind him, causing him to jump. “Sorry."
Taehyung takes his hand. Namjoon turns back to where the others are getting further and further from the center of camp. “Don’t go anywhere without a buddy!”
Their fingers slide into place, locking tight. Namjoon nods to him once. Assured. Assuring.
They step into the thick of the trees.
Dappled light and cicada calls envelope them. Namjoon’s palms are sweaty but he holds on tightly. They walk and call for Jungkook, nerves fraying the further they go, the longer their calls go unanswered.
“How far do we go before we turn back?” Taehyung asks.
Namjoon looks around them. Camp has been out of sight for quite some time, the other’s voices muffled as soon as they were past the first copse of trees and disappearing altogether after only moments.
“What if he’s already back with the others and we’re just wandering around, getting lost ourselves?” He tries to picture them out here, still looking, the woods blanketed in the dark of night. Would the others come looking for them instead? Would they all end up out here, wandering?
“Let’s go back and see. If he isn’t at camp, we’ll call staff and we’ll come back out here with the radio.”
Taehyung can feel the hesitation in their steps, as if they were dragging their feet metaphorically and literally. There’s the hope that they’ll hear Jungkook’s bright voice, chatting away with the cute little animals, but the trepidation also feels fueled by the realization that Taehyung isn’t really sure if they’re heading in the right direction. He hopes Namjoon knows.
He lets his mind wander while his feet move on autopilot, his eyes still sweeping through the trees, until Namjoon pulls them abruptly to a stop.
There’s something on the path ahead.
A figure, hunched low.
In a jerky motion, it straightens to its full height.
Taehyung feels the breath leave his lungs when it lurches forward…
…and starts doing the That That choreography.
“Jungkook!”
He doesn’t react to their voices, but when he spins around, a huge smile on his face, his eyes light up when he registers his quickly approaching hyungs. He skips towards them, practically jumping into their arms.
“Jungkook, what are you doing? You had everyone worried,” Namjoon aims for chastising but mostly just sounds relieved.
Jungkook takes an AirPods out of his ear. “Huh?”
“Oh my god.”
“Kook, we’ve been looking for you,” Namjoon says, exasperation finally getting a chance to creep in now that they know Jungkook is safe.
“Oh. Why didn’t anyone call me?”
“We were calling for you.”
“No, like my cell?” Jungkook says it like he’s speaking to idiots.
“We don’t have service out here,” Taehyung says, pulling out his phone. Except he has notifications now.
“It’s fine out here, I’ve been streaming.” He smiles, proud and happy for the company, despite how confused Taehyung and Namjoon both are.
Namjoon shakes his head. “Let’s just head back.”
Taehyung laces his fingers through Jungkook’s, pulling him in close. He reaches out with his other hand and gently holds the loose fabric at the back of Namjoon’s shirt. He’s not letting either of them out of his sight until they’ve cleared the treeline, safe and sound with the others, seven once more.
“I was about to head back anyway,” Jungkook murmurs to Taehyung, pocketing the AirPods. “It was kind of weird out here.”
“Weird?”
“Yeah.”
Taehyung hums, squeezing Jungkook’s hand and bringing it up to his mouth to gently place his lips on soft skin.
…..
It’s only tense for a short while after they make it back with Jungkook. The others barely let him breathe, alternating who’s touching him, walking with him, but without fail every pair of eyes stays on him for at least an hour.
When dinner gets mentioned, normalcy finds its way back into their world.
Yoongi and Seokjin act as perfect sous chefs for an extremely bossy Jungkook. He doesn’t let them do much more than help prep some of the veggies, eventually kicking them out of his proverbial kitchen to do it the way he wants it done.
They eat well and they drink well and they spend the first night reminiscing just like they always do. It’s comparatively early when they decide to call it a night, the adrenaline having long worn off and the hard work from the day catching up to them.
The center vestibule has been transformed under Hoseok’s sharp eye, the floor plush with purple shag, glittering little lantern lights circling the ceiling, wooden shelves around the edges, covered in knick knacks and practical items in equal measure. An inflatable love seat draped in soft blankets and several massive floor pillows make the space look so cozy and inviting. One by one, they step onto the welcome mat, removing their shoes and placing them on the only blank set of shelves directly next to the door until it’s covered end to end with shoes.
Silently they split and go to either of the tents.
“Zip up the door so it holds in more heat,” Yoongi whispers against Hoseok’s lips before kissing him goodnight. It’s really the only thing he allows while ‘on the clock’.
“Are we keeping the cameras on?” Taehyung whispers to Namjoon while they all do their best to change clothes without knocking into each other too much. He’s suddenly reminded intimately of their first dorm.
Namjoon tosses his shirt over his mic pack still glowing on the ground. “Let’s keep them the first night. They always care less the further into the shoot we get. Probably won’t use much from this anyway with all four of us in here.”
“Yeah, maybe.” He hopes that’s the case.
Sometimes he just wants to exist with the others without cameras rolling or the excessive effort of not letting the company catch wind that they plan to get together.
Small prices.
It’s what he tells himself when it feels like too much. Small prices to pay for all the love in the world and the lifetime that follows after all the fame.
Taehyung just puts on a clean shirt and boxers and hopes he doesn’t still overheat. Yoongi is already curled on the edge of the sleep pad closest to the door to the center vestibule, scrolling through his phone. Seokjin is wrapping up his skin care routine, cozy looking in his Good Day pajamas.
“Hyung, where do you want to sleep?”
“In the middle, it's cold.”
“It’s not that cold,” Namjoon chuckles, collapsing a bit haphazardly onto the empty sleeping pad. Taehyung doesn’t call him out on how quickly he digs his feet under the blankets pulled back.
“Fine then, scoot over. You and Taehyung are like personal heaters anyway. Much better than icy toes over there.”
“If you’re going to insult me, at least be clever in the name calling.”
“Chilly beans,” Namjoon mutters between two big yawns.
Taehyung climbs in next to Yoongi, snuggling under the covers and watching Seokjin do the same beside him. Namjoon immediately spoons up behind him, a thick arm draped over Seokjin’s tapered waist. Taehyung reaches out his hands from the blankets covering him and Yoongi and underneath the edge of the ones covering his hyungs until he finds Seokjin’s cold fingers and holds them delicately, sharing his warmth.
“Are you warm enough, hyung?”
“I’m fine, Tae-yah,” he sighs, eyes closed.
Taehyung wiggles closer, out from under the blankets before he burrows his head under Seokjin’s blankets.
“Yah!” He’s not very loud, considering everyone is winding down for the night, but the rush of air is still enough to make Taehyung slow down. He pushes just the top of his head out from under the covers to look at Seokjin. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Seokjin’s blush is so pretty under the fairy lights.
“Under here.” Isn’t it obvious?
Seokjin looks away, eyes glued to a spot on the tent wall.
“I- uh… don’t want that.”
“Me warming your hands?”
Seokjin finally looks at him again. “What?”
Taehyung scoots back down to his earlier position, cradling Seokjin’s knobby fingers near his mouth, breathing warmth back into them. Seokjin pulls one of his hands free, pushes the blankets down enough to see Taehyung’s face, and cups his cheek. His eyes are as warm as the breath in Taehyung’s lungs.
“You’re sweet.”
“Did you just notice?”
Seokjin squishes his cheek for it. “Obviously not.”
“You know we’re comfortable with whatever you’re comfortable with.”
“I know.”
“Jokes can just be jokes.”
“I shouldn’t make them though, I always feel guilty when I don’t follow through.”
Taehyung turns his face towards Seokjin’s hand to kiss his palm. “We only expect you to be you, hyung. Nothing else.”
Seokjin pulls free of Namjoon’s grasp just enough to give Taehyung a kiss. Namjoon grumbles, already mostly asleep, and their kiss breaks into soft giggles.
Taehyung feels Yoongi shift behind him. Cold fingers worm their way under Taehyung’s shirt, pressing against his soft belly. It makes him shiver a little. With one hand free, he laces his fingers with Yoongi’s. Nothing quite as sweet as both hands cradled by the ones that he loves.
“Why are you still awake?” Yoongi grumbles, as if he wasn’t just messing around on his phone not two seconds ago.
“We were waiting for you,” Teahyung tells him.
He feels the puff of breath indicating Yoongi’s quiet little laugh. “I’m here now.”
“Well now that Yoongichi is here, we can head to dreamland,” Seokjin says fondly. “Joon-ah already got a head start.”
Taehyung rolls onto his back, pulling Yoongi in closer to his side and keeping hold of Seokjin’s hand, checking to be sure the blankets were back in place around all of his hyungs.
He drifts off quicker than he expects.
It doesn’t feel long before he’s woken up.
The sun has yet to come up, the only light in the tent the fading fairy lights, but there’s movement and a biting cold.
His hand is empty.
He’s sprawled across an empty bed, extra blankets tucked around him, but no Yoongi.
“Hyung?”
There’s whispering just outside the tent door.
When he sits up, a bright light blinds him. It fills the tent, casting gnarled shadows across curved nylon.
“Tae-yah, go back to sleep,” Yoongi murmurs. “Hyung and I are just going fishing.”
“Oh.”
He lets his body flop back on the pad, the tent zipping loudly as he falls right back to sleep.
…..
“Shit! Hyung!”
Taehyung startles out of dreamdom.
He blinks up at the fairy lights, the nylon of the tent glowing from the warm sun shining on the other side. Sleepily, he smacks his lips and wonders if anyone has started making breakfast.
“Hyung!”
Like lightning moving through him, he sits up, ramrod straight.
There’s yelling, though somewhat distantly.
Taehyung stumbles up out of bed, the tent empty. He forgoes putting on any extra clothes, tripping through the tent door and out into startling sunlight.
He emerges into a scene of chaos. Jimin rushes past him. He can hear Hoseok yelling, and Namjoon is pacing with a radio gripped tightly in front of him.
Taehyung rounds the side of the tent and sees Hoseok and now Jimin at the water’s edge. They’re looking out over the water, Hoseok standing in the water, despite the bottom of his sweats getting soaked. Jimin’s arms are full of towels as he stands, with muscles coiled tightly, on dry land.
As Teahyung hurries closer, he realizes that Jungkook is in the water.
But… it’s too cold to swim, at least this early in the morning…
“Jungkook!” Seokjin yells from where he’s swimming through the water as well. “Get out!”
“I’m fine,” Yoongi is coughing, for some reason also in the water?
Jungkook has Yoongi under one arm, pulling them closer to shore. Seokjin catches up to them quickly, taking Yoongi’s weight from Jungkook.
“I know how to swim!” Yoongi barks through the coughing fit.
“Staff is on their way,” Namjoon calls out as he jogs to meet them.
Hoseok meets them in the water once the others are in shallow enough waters to stand. “We need to get you dry.”
Jimin starts wrapping each of them in towels.
“What happened?”
“The boat tipped,” Seokjin says, drying his hair aggressively.
“We were fishing and-” Yoongi pauses to cough. “-I thought I caught something, but maybe it was just something at the bottom of the lake because next thing I knew I was in the water.”
“Are you okay?” Taehyung is checking over both of them and Jungkook, hands hovering, not knowing what to do and not wanting to make anything worse.
“I’m just wet.”
“Hyung, you weren’t coming up at first,” Jungkook pouts out from his fluffy towel hood.
“My pants got stuck on something. I was already back up when you got to me.” He sees the look in Jungkook’s eyes. Fingers shocked even more pink than usual ease into Jungkook’s death grip on the towel. “Thank you for coming for me.”
“It didn’t feel like you tipped it,” Seokjin chimes in. “It felt more like something bumped the boat.”
“Let’s get you guys out of these wet clothes,” Hoseok insists, shepherding everyone towards the tents.
By the time staff arrive, everyone has changed into appropriate attire for the day. Jungkook insisted on building a fire and keeps arranging his hyungs around the flames as he sees fit. The director tells them that someone will come out to fetch the boat with equipment after the shoot. They have some back up rods but no bait unless they want to snitch a little extra meat from one of their meals. They check over Seokjin, Yoongi and Jungkook for injuries, but all three check out. They make sure to leave extra supplements from one of the advertisers. Definitely not for promotional reasons and only because they care about the member’s health, Taehyung is sure…
…..
Yoongi is sick by lunch.
He’s bundled in his warmest clothes, wrapped in several blankets they pulled out of the tents, and stuffed into a chair next to the fire Jungkook has been diligently tending. One of Hybe’s medics is always traveling with them and deems it a simple cold, but it doesn’t stop everyone from fretting over the low grade fever.
“Maybe we should call it,” one of the PA’s mentions to Yoongi after quickly trying to wrap up his interview before he gets worse.
Taehyung has been watching from the side. He has a drink and a snack for Yoongi, and wants to get him under the blankets again as soon as possible. Yoongi’s eyes meet his briefly before he smiles kindly to the woman.
“It’s just a little cold. I’m having a great time, why would I want to leave early?”
…..
Perhaps they should have left early.
…..
Yoongi shuffles out of the tent after a long nap, face puffy, nose red.
“You’re supposed to be resting,” Hoseok says, eyes lifted to peer over the top of his sunglasses while his fingers work furiously, tying knots in bright strands of string.
“I want to be out here with you guys,” Yoongi grumps, dropping into one of the chairs still circled around the last embers of the fire Jungkook made earlier.
Hoseok, Jimin, and Jungkook each have their fingers woven through various colored threads, braiding and twisting them into patterned bracelets. Namjoon is reading while Seokjin and Taehyung just lounge, legs thrown over arm rests, feet braced on coolers and anything else close enough and sturdy enough. Seokjin may or may not be asleep, Taehyung has been watching the clouds pass.
Yoongi falls asleep in the chair almost immediately, so Hoseok doesn’t bully him back into the tent, merely asks Taehyung to go grab a couple blankets to wrap around him.
When he rounds the side of the tent, the zipper door flutters in the gentle afternoon breeze.
There’s an odd sound that doesn’t really register until he’s leaned over, about to step into the tent, shoes half kicked off.
A rumbly, rubber squelching, scuffling sound.
His muscles twitch where he’s frozen in place, trying to wrap his mind around the image of a neoguri in their tent, jaw latched onto one of the beds as it rips and destroys anything in its path.
Slowly, Taehyung backs up from the tent, eyes glued to the raccoon dog as he retreats.
“There’s a neoguri in the tent,” he tells the others when he returns.
“Huh?” Seokjin squints up at him.
“Neoguri. In the tent.”
Jungkook laughs, still looping purple and black over and under and pulling tight. “Just drop kick it.”
“Why are you always so violent about animals?” Jimin asks him. “Who hurt you?”
“Are you sure it wasn’t one of the fuzzy blankets? The fairy lights are solar, maybe we need to recharge them,” Hoseok suggests.
“It’s chewing through the sleep pad.”
There’s a moment of silence, the calm before the chaos.
Friendship bracelets end up abandoned at the feet of a sleeping Yoongi like offerings to an old god, one that’s sick, but still cute and sweet. A little steamed dumpling god.
Jungkook and Namjoon get there first, Seokjin easily keeping up but ensuring he’s safely behind the unflinchingness of Jungkook. Hoseok stays far back enough to be safe, but close enough to make sure that the others are also safe.
The sound of six grown men rushing towards the tent must be enough to spook the creature, as it comes shooting out of the tent opening like it’s on fire. The members all startle back, Hoseok and Seokjin shout and scream in equal measure, Jimin nearly ends up on the ground if not for Taehyung grabbing him at the last second, and Jungkook still looks like he might try to fight a wild animal.
“Fuck,” Namjoon says, recentering the group as he always does. Though this time none of them are very happy to be brought back down to earth, especially when it feels so much like crashing.
The tent is a wreck.
It looks like only one pad was actually destroyed but just as they’re all sticking their heads in to see how bad the damage is, they each quickly recoil.
“Did it piss in there?!”
“Oh god, that reeks.”
“We can’t sleep in here,” Seokjin says breathlessly, hand over nose.
“Grab your bags before they hold the smell,” Hoseok urges. Jungkook gasps.
“If we unvelcro the tent from the vestibule, we can unzip the other door,” Jimin suggests.
They set to work quickly unstaking and shifting the smaller tent just enough to get the other door unzipped, allowing air to flow through the space.
“I’ll go in and throw them if you guys can catch them,” Taehyung offers when no one makes a move.
They all nod solemnly, the burden now in another soldier's hands as he heads to the frontline.
He takes a deep breath and darts into the tent, beelining for where their bags have luckily been untouched. He doesn’t look to make sure someone is ready and just starts launching bags out the door. He grabs a couple pairs of shoes and manages to yank the fairy lights out of their little hooks in one fell swoop.
He bursts back out into fresh air gasping for breath.
“You did good, Tae-yah,” Namjoon tells him.
Hoseok takes what’s left in his arms, passing things to the others before hugging Taehyung. “Should probably go wash your slides to be safe.”
“Whas goin on?” Yoongi asks as he passes him by.
“Neoguri.”
Yoongi nods like it makes sense, like he could foresee this coming, and closes his eyes again. Taehyung goes to check his temperature but pulls his hand back at the last second in case it’s contaminated.
He opts for a lingering kiss on the forehead. It’s too warm.
Jimin placed a gentle hand on Taehyung’s shoulder. “I’ve got him.”
Taehyung kisses Jimin on the cheek and heads for the lake. It’s a good thing too, because now that he’s far from the tent, he can tell that the scent of piss lingers more than just in his nose.
He kicks off his slides and walks until the water reaches mid-shin. Stopping, he swishes his slides through the water, scrapes them a bit along the silty bottom of the lake, an attempt at scrubbing. He hears one of the others approaching but keeps his attention on the task at hand.
“I think you got it, my love,” Hoseok says.
It surprises him enough to turn in place, water splashing in his wake. It’s so rare for Hoseok to share this part of himself while working.
“I don’t want to get it anywhere else.”
Hoseok smiles. “Come on.”
He helps Taehyung dry his feet, offers his own slides to walk back to camp despite the size difference. The others seem to be dragging the destroyed tent to the edge of the clearing, staking it down to avoid it blowing back into them should another storm hit.
“The bags seemed fine,” Hoseok tells him. “And if we take down the cots and put everything on the floor, drag in the pillows and blankets and stuff from the central tent and just use that for bag storage, we can fit everyone in the one tent.”
“I shouldn’t have brought us here.”
“Don’t say that.”
“This trip is cursed.”
Hoseok hums. “Okay, it’s a little cursed.” Taehyung turns big shining eyes at him, making Hoseok laugh, pulling him in close. “But all our trips are a little cursed.”
Taehyung thinks it over. “At least we’re all together.”
“Exactly.”
He tries to think on the bright side. There’s not a lot, but them being together is a start… The weather has turned around, pretty clouds drifting listlessly overhead. The campsite is surrounded by beautiful views. The food… the food has been great, probably the only constant on this trip.
“Do you think any of this footage will be usable,” he asks, realizing that they haven’t even been carrying around the handhelds for most of the day.
“The editing team will figure it out, they always do. Besides, ARMY kind of loves a little bit of misfortune.”
“I think this is more misfortune than even they’d like to see.”
“I don’t know, they liked Are You Sure ,” Hoseok laughs.
“I had no misfortunes, I’ll have you know.”
They’re giggling when they get back to the others. Jungkook is bent over Yoongi, holding him tightly, slow owlish blinks peeking over a fuzzy blanket.
“How are you feeling, hyung?”
“Fine.” It’s croaky and hoarse.
“Mkay,” Jimin says with an eye roll.
Taehyung kneels in front of Yoongi. “It’s alright, hyung. We can go home. I think we’ve had enough of camping.”
“Maybe we can get the staff to let us take the remaining two days at the cabins if there’s room,” Jungkook suggests.
“All the bags are in the main tent,” Namjoon says, rejoining them. “Jin-hyung and I took apart the cots and stashed them there as well. You want to come make the beds to your liking?”
“Yes,” Hoseok answers. “Hyung still in there?”
“Yup.”
“I think I’m going to take a handheld and go for a walk,” Taehyung says, standing back up. “If it’s our last day, I want to make sure we get lots of footage.”
“I’ll come with you,” Jungkook offers.
Jungkook in the sunshine is prettier than any of the scenery, but Taehyung tries to capture some of both as they walk. They venture out to the water’s edge, around to the expanse of field that curves around their encampment, and back over to the edge of the tree line. Taehyung steps into the cool shade of the trees. He realizes after a few steps that it’s gotten quiet.
Jungkook stands at the edge of the woods watching him, a nervous look on his face.
“What, you’re scared of woods now?”
He gets a scowl for his sass.
“No.” Jungkook wavers, still just out of reach of the bramble. “It’s just weird in there.”
“Weird?”
“Yeah.”
Taehyung waits, eventually rolling his eyes when Jungkook doesn’t elaborate. “Kook, I’m gonna need a bit more than that.”
“I don’t know,” Jungkook says in a huff. “It feels weird. There’s a weird sound.”
“A weird sound?”
Taehyung stops shifting, straining his ears to try to hear what Jungkook does.
“I don’t hear anything but birds and stuff.”
“It’s a little further in.”
Taehyung looks over his shoulder, deeper into the woods. He can’t help himself. He’s always been curious by nature.
“Hyung,” Jungkook warns when Taehyung starts walking again. Taehyung is comforted by the sound of Jungkook’s hurried steps trying to catch up to him.
They walk for a bit, Jungkook hanging back, though this time not to enjoy the view. He’s getting ready to turn them back, when he feels a pressure in his ears, as if the altitude had changed. It feels like they need to pop. Jungkook grabs onto the back of his hoodie.
As he takes another step, he hears it. This weird warbly sound. It feels like the auditory equivalent of heatwaves coming off the highway. A mirage of water. It’s heavy and pressing and confusing. A buzzing that tickles at the hairs in his ears.
“Hyung!” The outburst startles him. “Don’t move!”
Taehyung stops walking, frozen in place. “Jungkook-ah-”
“I think you’re standing in poison ivy.”
Taehyung looks down. Dark leafy shrubs and vines blanket the area he’s standing in.
“Fuck.”
…..
They pack up as soon as Taehyung and Jungkook get back to camp. Taehyung is quarantined, unable to help as angry, itching rashes break out over his legs.
Staff arrive quickly, the camp is cleared out, the members shuffled into multiple cars. Taehyung is wrapped in a towel and stuck in the back of a car by himself to be taken to the nearest clinic. He can’t decide if it’s comforting or upsetting that Yoongi will be there as well, just safely in his own vehicle.
“It was still a good trip,” Jimin whispers to him as the staff scramble around them.
Taehyung gives him a pathetic look.
“I’ll see you at home, Chim,” he mumbles.
“Hey.” Jimin waits for him to look back up at him. “I love you.”
Even after all these years, it makes him blush. “I love you more.”
“And I love you….” Jimin smirks, moving into his Good Boy Pose and affecting a ridiculous voice. “To Infinity and Beyond!”
It makes Taehyung giggle. He can’t touch him, but he knows Jimin can feel the love he radiates. Seokjin and Namjoon come by to send flying kisses his way. He pockets them, tucks them into his heart. Jungkook leans part way in the open car window, his mouth quirked in a sympathetic smile and drops a couple snacks onto the seat next to Taehyung.
“There will be another trip,” Hoseok tells him when he comes to say goodbye before jumping into the car with Jimin.
“Yeah.”
“…I’ll bring you dinner when we’re home.”
“Okay.”
“It was worth it,” Hoseok insists. “It’s always worth it to make time for the things we want.”
It’s sincere. Too sincere for Taehyung when he’s already so close to tears.
“Thanks, hyung.”
“I love you, Taehyungie-ah,” he says cutely. “Thank you for always fighting for what we want.”
It puts a little sunshine in his veins, chasing away some of the stormy clouds in his head. The car starts to pull away, the others do as well, Hoseok rushes to get into his designated ride. Hands wave out of windows as they pull onto the bumpy dirt road back to civilization.
Small prices.
Small prices to pay.
Always worth it to fight for what we want.
He’s ready to go home.
They’ll go back to the regular grind, finding pockets of time for love and leisure.
There will be another trip. Even if he has to fight for it.
…..
“The poison ivy was a bit much.”
“They were getting too close to the perimeter.”
“And poison ivy was what you decided on?”
“Look, I had to make a decision quick.”
“Better hope Park Jiwon-ssi doesn’t cause a fuss.”
“Once he sees what the editing team puts together, it’ll be fine.”
“Fingers crossed.”
One by one they switch off the wall of monitors, each still glowing with images of a now bare campsite and the surrounding fields and forest. With the press of a button, the vast expanse of control panels slowly power down.
Another successful show.
“If it goes over well, we can pitch it for TXT or something.”