A/N: Hopefully this chapter opens a few more possibilities, a few more eyes. It's another painful chapter but the pain won't last forever.

Playful Minjoon warms my heart.

So often, as leader, Namjoon has to keep his together

but Jimin is good at getting him to let go and have fun. 

“I’ll take first watch, hyung. You guys get some sleep.” Jungkook mumbled to Hoseok and Taehyung but his eyes were on Jin as the elder watched Namjoon stretch out with Jimin on the couch of the small breakroom.

“Okay, Kookie.” Taehyung replied gently. He was sure Jin would keep the youngest company and he was honestly too tired not to agree with almost anything anyway. “You can wake me if you need anything at all, alright?”  

Jungkook nodded, acknowledging the kind words but his attention didn’t waver from the eldest. He slowly approached Jin, who appeared to be lost in his own head, with soft steps, wanting to wrap him up in his arms. “Hey, hyung.” he said instead, voice guarded. He could only imagine how hard the night had been on his hyung.

“Oh, Jungkookie.” Jin exclaimed with a slight jump, spinning towards him as his hand covered his speeding heart. “You startled me.” he smiled with a small, self-deprecating lift of his lips.

“Sorry, Jin hyung. I just wanted to let you know I’m going out to the storefront to keep watch. You should probably get some sleep. It’s been a rough night.” the younger man informed.

“I really don’t think I could sleep right now.” Jin admitted, his tired voice strained. “You mind if I join you?”   

“Um, sure, hyung.” Jungkook replied, not quite looking the elder in the eye. The young man wasn't sure why he was feeling shy all of a sudden. Tentatively, like he didn’t want to startle a frightened animal -or maybe he was the one who was the frightened animal, he reached his hand forward until it brushed against Jin’s own. With a nervous gulp he took the elder’s hand and led him from the room.

“Those two are just too cute.” Hoseok snickered as he wandered between two filing cabinets across from the door. He sat down against the wall, knees bent and back hunched forward as he scrubbed his face with his hands, trying to wipe away the stress of the day.

“Mm.” Taehyung hummed in agreement. “Not as cute as you though.” He wiggled his brows salaciously at his lover as he sluggishly melted to the floor next to Hoseok, even though he was pretty sure the man was going to hit him for that comment. It was worth it if it made him forget the horrors around them, even if just for a moment. Hoseok was too tired and muddled to retaliate however. Instead, he snuggled up into Taehyung’s side, smelling the familiar scent of him on the back of his tongue and it grounded him as always in this new world.

Hoseok side-eyed the couch for a moment before he spoke, only able to see entangled legs from his position.“I’m just trying to figure out how everything changed so damn fast!” He hissed turning his head into Taehyung’s neck to muffle his words, grasping his shirt tightly in his hand. “I mean, of course everyone was nervous when we got up this morning. The four of us worked so damn hard to get on that stage. It may not have been how we planned, but we made it! Even added to our numbers with the other three. And then it was suddenly just over… all of it. The safety and the home and the… the friends.” By the end he was in tears. They all had lost so much. Taehyung gently caressed up and down Hoseok’s back as he waited for the man to continue.

“I just…” Hoseok tried to pull himself together to verbalize everything that was in his heart. “I don’t think I know how to process everything that happened today to be honest. The emotions only come to me in waves because I just can’t wrap my head around it all, you know? I mean, I always knew something bad could happen but, I never really believed it could happen to us. And now… now I feel like the realization is too little, too late, you know?”

“I know. It hurts, hyung. It hurts so much.” Taehyung whispered in his lover’s hair as he pulled him even closer. It hurt but, that’s when you need to fight even harder he had learned. “That’s why we have to stick together. We have to make it through this so we don’t lose any more.”

“I feel like figuring this out so late, in a way, that makes me responsible to a degree for what happened. Like, if I was fully aware I would have been prepared to react, right?” Hoseok responded hesitantly. He knew in his head that this wasn’t how it worked but he still needed to hear the words.

“Now don’t you go blaming yourself for any of this .” Taehyung replied firmly. He knew his cousin was carrying more guilt than any other human ever shouldered and he wasn’t about to lose anyone else to that guilt. “Nothing that happened is your fault. It’s no one’s fault.”

“I know. I don’t really mean it like that, baby.” Hoseok replied, more at ease now. He pulled away from his lover so he could see him better in the dark. “I just mean that… well, I understand now. I know what we’re fighting for. It won’t be easy but, I’ll overcome my fear and be strong for everyone… for you.” Hoseok looked deep into Taehyung’s eyes as he spoke, letting him know that this was a solemn oath.

“Oh, Hobi.” Taehyung sighed, sounding almost wistful. He placed his forehead against Hoseok’s, marveling at the warmth such closeness created in his very core. “I love you, hyung. So much. And, no matter what happens, I’ll be with you every step of the way.”  

“I know you will, Tae.” Hoseok answered, placing a chaste kiss on his lips. “I love you too.” Pulling away, he scooted his along the floor so he could stretch out and get some sleep. He knew Taehyung wouldn’t fall asleep until he had and he knew his lover needed the rest. “Goodnight, baby.” he whispered into the still air.

“Goodnight, hyung.” Taehyung replied with a fond smile. The younger man stretched out along Hoseok’s lithe frame, lying his head on his lover’s shoulder and entwining their legs, taking a deep breath to relax his muscles. The floor was hard, digging into his joints but he’d slept in worse places so he just shrugged it off. Instead, he let his hand rub soothing circles into the older man’s abdominals as he listened to his breaths even out. Only when he was sure his lover was asleep did he close his own eyes.

*******

Jimin lay in the still darkness, letting it wash over him and through him. He wasn’t sure if he was glad the whispering had stopped or upset by that fact. He wasn’t sure of anything. He wasn’t even sure if he was alive. Surely he died back in that hallway. Maybe this was hell. He wasn’t really sure what he had done to deserve such a fate but it didn’t matter. This was his reality and he couldn’t change that. He couldn’t change… Yoongi.

The thought had him whimpering but then strong arms tightened around him and he felt his chest relax just a hair. It wasn’t enough to completely erase the pain or stop the empty thoughts but just maybe they didn’t have quite so much venom, maybe they stung that miniscule bit less.

*******

Jungkook led Jin out of the backroom, wandering towards the display counter and then taking a seat on the floor opposite it so that the hallway and backdoor were on his left, the front windows on his right. He pulled Jin down with him, scooting close so their shoulders and thighs were touching, never loosening his grip on the elder’s hand now that he had grasped ahold of it.

“You can talk about it.” Jungkook offered, knowing Jin was the type to need to talk through his experiences and feelings to come to terms with them.

“Holy , Kookie. This is such a mess.” Jin breathed a bone weary sigh as he spoke, leaning his head back against the wall with a dull thud.

Normally Jungkook would be surprised by his hyung’s swearing but he knew his hyung’s words were an understatement right now. “I don’t know if everything happened so fast or if I was seeing it in slow motion.” he admitted, thoughts already back with Yoongi. “I didn’t even see Jimin-hyung go down. One minute I was running, ready to wrench the door open and the next... “ Jungkook shook his head back and forth, at a loss for words as he subconsciously tried to negate all that had happened.

“We should have left the moment Yoongi warned us. It’s not like we did much good saving anyone anyway.” Jin sneered, angry at himself. He thumped his head against the wall in his frustration before the guilty washed the anger away again. “At least we’d still have him here with us.” he added with a hitch in his voice, his anger quickly undulating to despair as he tried to hold back his tears instead of letting them flow free.

“It’s not your fault, hyung.” Jungkook whispered, pulling Jin into his arms and gently angling the elder’s head to rest on his shoulder. “I know how much it hurts. He… he was a true hyung to me. Actually,” and here he paused to free a little chuckle. “He was a lot like my hyung. They were both all gruff and bristly on the outside but an actual cinnamon roll on the inside. All smushy and fluffy and adorable.” It was quiet for a moment as memories of the two men flashed through his head. “I never thought it could be possible for Yoongi get hurt. He was too tough. And… and, I’m afraid that if he can get hurt, then maybe my family can be hurt too. I don’t have that assurance that they’re safe anymore, you know?”

“Oh, Kookie.” Jin sighed. “It’s so hard being so far away from home, isn’t it?” It still hurt every time he thought of his own parents. He already knew they were lost and he couldn’t even do anything about it. Just like he couldn’t do anything now. “I just feel so damn helpless.” he admitted vehemently.

“I know, hyung. We’ll get through this together. As long as we’re together, everything will be okay.” But as Jungkook spoke the words he had said so many times before, for the first time there was doubt in his heart. They had already lost one member of their new family. Maybe even together they weren’t strong enough.

“I just keep trying to figure out what I should have done.” Jin continues, for once so wrapped up in his own head that he missed Jungkook’s words altogether. “I know there’s a way I could have saved everyone. I just can’t figure out what it was I should have done differently.”

“It’s not your fault, hyung.” Jungkook pressed again. “We didn’t have enough information. We did the best we could with what we had.”

“I should have talked to more people. I should have told them danger was imminent and not just a possibility. I should have said something more to The General and the rest of the National Guard and we should have left right away. And now, I’ve destroyed so many people. And, I’ve even destroyed my friends… Yoongi and Jimin and Namjoon... How am I ever going to face Jimin and Namjoon? They lost the man they love and it’s all because I was too weak to protect them like I’m supposed to.” By this time Jin had dissolved into tears, Jungkook holding him tight and rocking him back and forth, shushing his quiet sobs as he threaded his fingers through tousled hair.

It took a while for Jin to calm down but eventually the weight of the world was too much for even his broad shoulders and he succumbed to sleep. Jungkook continued to hold him tight as he hummed to him softly, his humming being interrupted from time to time as he placed gentle kisses to the crown of Jin’s head. He listened to the quiet as he comforted the elder, his own voice the only sound he heard.

*******

Namjoon awoke to the sensation of falling followed by the hard impact of the ground beneath him. “.” he groaned out in pain. He had landed on his back, his right arm wrenched at an odd angle as Jimin held his hand in a death grip, cutting off the circulation to his fingers. He heard snickering on the other side of the room and knew his disgrace had been witnessed.

“You okay there, hyung?” an amused voice whispered through the dark. Namjoon could hear a chair creak as the person readjusted himself at the desk.

“I can’t feel my hand.” Namjoon snorted, getting a small chuckle in return. He sat up slowly, rubbing at his eyes with his free fist. “What are you doing up, Kook?” He tugged at his captured hand, trying to get Jimin to at least loosen his grasp, as he spoke.

“I slept a bit. It’s overrated if you ask me.” Jungkook replied huffily, shuddering as an image from his nightmare resurfaced but he pushed the image away. “What I really want is some food and water. We haven’t had either in almost 12 hours now and we were partially dehydrated from the performance too. It’s really important to stay hydrated in this climate.”

As Jungkook rambled, a fond smile stretched Namjoon’s lips just for a moment, his dimples flashing for a second. Even with all the circumstances of the present he was happy that his hyung had the young man before him to love. They were perfect for one another. One moment he was happy for the pair but in a flash, the knowledge that he and Jimin had missed out on such love pierced through his heart like a blade.

“What?” Jungkook asked in confusion, hearing a pained hiss from the elder. Namjoon’s face had crumpled so fast, the younger didn’t know what had hit him. He looked to be in crippling pain. “Are you okay, hyung?” Without even realizing it, he had rushed to the man’s side, the office chair he had been sitting in thumping against the desk, and now he was kneeling next to him by the couch.

“Even thinking of smiling hurts so much right now.” Namjoon voiced as he squeezed his eyes closed and clutched at his chest. The pain he had experienced when he had lost his soulmate echoed throughout his whole being but then it refracted, fractured by his pain for Yoongi and Jimin, compounded into a new pain that he’d never had to fight before. He tried to focus on breathing as his therapist so long ago had taught him. He had to be strong for Yoongi and Jimin. He had to be ready to run or fight at a moment’s notice. With effort, he pushed the attack away, finally taking a cleansing breath as the worst of it was forced away. “I’m okay, Jungkookie.” he finally said, his voice husky, but there was a thread of doubt deep in the back of his throat.

Jungkook nodded, seeing that whatever had briefly incapacitated the man was now over. “How… how’s Jimin?” he asked in a whisper, already knowing the answer but needing to hear assurances that someday he would be okay.

“He’s broken.” Namjoon answered honestly, his breath hitching over the syllables.

“How do we fix him, hyung? What can I do?” Jungkook’s voice choked on emotion as well. He wanted everything to be ‘right’ again so badly.

“I don’t know yet.” Namjoon admitted. “We’ll just have to adjust moment by moment to be whatever he needs.”

“Very wise.” a new voice rumbled as Jin pulled himself from sleep. “Is it morning yet? I don’t know how much longer I can stand to lie on this floor.” Jungkook shuffled off to Jin’s side as the elder pushed himself upright, grasping his hand when he got there. Midway, the office door opened and Taehyung and Hoseok strode through, dim blue-grey light seeping in around them.

“It’s daylight.” Taehyung reported as he swept the room with his eyes. Jungkook and Jin sat side by side, Jungkook’s body turned towards the elder’s. Across from them, Namjoon was sitting on the floor, his arm contorted behind him at an odd angle as he faced the others. Jimin was lying on the couch right behind him, knees curled in tight as he held onto Namjoon’s hand as if it were a lifeline. Silent tears streaked down his face but the muscles were lax, not giving away whether or not he was awake or aware of his weeping.

“Finally.” Jungkook huffed. It would be funny that he was in such a hurry to be awake in any other circumstance but at the moment he just wanted to move again. It didn’t feel safe to stay in any one place for too long and he was starting to get antsy.

“We need transportation as well as food and water in case we can’t get back to the humvee and our supplies.” Jin jumped straight to business. It had been cathartic talking through his emotions with Jungkook and he had slept a little more peacefully in his arms as well. Now he was ready to face this new day.

“Do you think Jimin will be ready to move?” Hoseok asked worriedly.

“Let’s break into teams.” Taehyung suggested. “Someone can stay here with Minie while the rest of us break into two groups and do a little reconnaissance. The front of this shop looks pretty deserted from what I saw out there. We’ll check out the car situation and grab some provisions if we can.”

“Okay.” Jungkook nodded. “Who’s going to stay with Jimin-hyung?”  

“I will.” Namjoon offered right away. “I don’t think I’d feel right having him out of my sight right now.”

“Okay, hyung.” Taehyung agreed, a flash of hurt in his eyes before he moved on. “Hobi-hyung and I will head to the left around the stripmall. You two can go to the right.” he said, now addressing Jin and Jungkook. “There’s walkie talkies in the shop so we can all keep in touch. If you find easy food, grab it. Namjoon-hyung,” he turned his attention to the man in question. “You be ready to move Jimin if we need to get out fast. We’ll tell you if we need you to meet us somewhere.”

Everyone was nodding in understanding and then the two couples were getting to their feet and walking out of the breakroom. Namjoon really couldn’t feel his fingers so once he was alone in the room with Jimin, he turned his body, uncramping his bent arm.

Once he was sitting more comfortably he took the opportunity to look at Jimin fully. He was pretty sure he hadn’t allowed himself the honor since he had first met the man at the airport over a month ago now. He was just a shadow of his former self, even in his sleep. His skin looked pale, ashen in the grey light from the open doorway. His brow was pinched and his facial muscles occasionally contorted into grimaces of pain before smoothing out again. Namjoon’s heart squeezed for the man. He knew all too well what he was going through.

“Hey, Joon. Here’s a walkie talkie.” Jin’s soothing voice broke through Namjoon’s conscious. He turned to look at the elder, reaching for the radio with his free hand. “How are you doing?” Jin asked sincerely.

Namjoon pursed his lips, blowing out a deep breath. “Does it really matter at this point, hyung?” he asked helplessly. “There’s no time to fall apart. So I’ll save it for later.” he tried to bolster himself.

“It matters, Namjoon.” Jin scolded lightly. “You matter. I know what you’re saying though. You gonna be okay on your own with him?”

“Sure. I have to be so I will be.” Namjoon reiterated, sounding more confident this time. “I’ll be whatever they need me to be.”

There were so many replies Jin could give to that statement but before he had the chance to choose one, the walkie talkie in Namjoon’s hand crackled to life. “It’s time hyung.” Jungkook’s tinny voice called. Jin gave Namjoon one more penetrating look before he left the room.

Namjoon sighed again as he turned his attention back to Jimin, finding his eyes open, blank and staring straight ahead. “Jimin-ah?” he cooed softly, running his fingertips through his dark locks. “The others are looking for food and a car.” he explained, voice gentle, talking mostly just so the boy could hear his voice and hopefully feel not so alone. “We’re going to have to move soon. Do you think you can sit up?”

Jimin didn’t answer. He didn’t give any reaction to show he had heard but when Namjoon gently lifted him to sitting, pulling his legs onto the floor, Jimin followed without resistance. It was a good thing because the elder’s hand was still locked in the smaller man’s grip and he was having difficulty getting Jimin’s upper half into an upright position while one handed and on his knees.

Once Jimin was sitting fully upright, Namjoon placed his face in front of the other man’s, trying to gain eye contact. He could see his eyes swim as they seemed to try to focus after having been vacant for so long. Jimin jumped slightly, a tiny gasp escaping his lips, when he finally recognized Namjoon’s face. He saw concern in the older man’s eyes mixing with anxiety and caution but underneath it all was a soul deep pain that reflected in Jimin’s own eyes.

“Hyung?” Jimin croaked in confusion.

“I’m here, Minie, I’m here.” Namjoon soothed, sitting on the couch next to the fragile man so he could wrap him up in his arms. He tugged slightly on his captured hand once again and finally Jimin loosened his grasp but he still wouldn’t let go completely. Namjoon wriggled his fingers, trying to get the blood flowing again as he continued to speak. “We’re going to get out of here Minie. We’re going to find somewhere safe.” he promised.

“N-no.” Jimin whimpered. “We’re already too far away, hyung. We need to stay with Yoongi. He needs us.” Jimin’s eyes filled with tears once again, his head hanging forward as he cried.

“I know it’s impossibly hard, Jimin-ah.” Namjoon whispered, holding him tight as tears filled his own eyes but he blinked them away. He was going to be strong no matter what. He needed to be Jimin’s support and he’d never let him down.

The walkie talkie on the floor by the couch crackled to life suddenly, making both men start. “It looks like most of those zombies cleared out overnight.” Taehyung reported.

“That’s what we’re seeing too, hyung.” Jungkook agreed.

Namjoon watched Jimin carefully, knowing the most innocuous seeming thing could potentially set him off. The younger man’s eyes had closed tight while the two on the walkie talkies reported their findings as they snuck through the outside world. Namjoon turned the volume down, reducing the chatter to background noise so he could better gauge Jimin’s reactions.

The smaller man still had his head bent forward, fiddling with Namjoon’s pinkening fingers, tears dripping from his chin and anointing their hands. As the elder watched a tear droplet sluggishly run down Jimin’s flexing wrist the hair on the back of his neck stood on end but he couldn’t figure out why. Something was different, not right, but he couldn’t put his finger on it yet.

“Did you hear me, Namjoon?” Jin’s voice over the walkie talkie broke through the man’s inner struggle. He picked up the rectangular object, pressing the button to respond.

“What was that, hyung?” Namjoon asked.

“I said, the alley between the gun store and gas station still has some stragglers but if we go around either side of the mall we should be able to skirt around them. Taehyung and Jungkook are gassing up the humvee and Hoseok and I are on our way back with some food and water.”

“We’ll be here, hyung.” Namjoon answered but his mind was preoccupied. An idea was buzzing in his brain and he was just waiting for it to land so he could grasp ahold of it. Suddenly, his eyes widened in revelation as he reversed his hand in Jimin’s, holding tightly. “Holy .” he whispered. Jimin slowly lifted his head, puffy, red-rimmed eyes imploring. “Come with me.” Namjoon urged. “I need more light.”

Jimin found himself being dragged off the couch and onto his feet, his head dizzy with the sudden movement but Namjoon’s arm wrapped around him again, keeping him on his feet. The elder’s other hand remained grasping Jimin’s as he led the smaller man into the main store. It was still dim with the dark film covering the front of the store but it was bright enough for Namjoon to take a closer look at the heel of Jimin’s left hand.

“Holy .” Namjoon repeated, his voice tinged with excitement and hope.

“What?” Jimin whispered tentatively.

“Have… have I ever shown you my tattoo?” Namjoon asked tentatively, getting a negative head shake in reply. “Look.” he prodded, offering his left hand to Jimin to examine.

Jimin grasped the proffered hand in his own, turning it so the heel was facing upwards and the relaxed fingers were curled towards his palm. He ran his shorter fingers along the black and white and grey of the tattoo there, looking at the gridded design and swirling filigree. The center of the design appeared to bend downward near the middle, leaving an open spot like the eye of a tornado and on this empty field sat the outline of a rose. It was beautiful in its own way even though it filled Jimin’s heart with a cold emptiness and sense of loneliness.

When he could tell that Jimin had examined his hand thoroughly, Namjoon spoke again. “Now look at your hand.”

Not sure what Namjoon was hinting at, Jimin turned his own left hand into a stream of light, looking at his own tattoo. The image was faded like it had sat in the sun for far too long and the color had been mostly washed out. He frowned at Namjoon, unable to process the implications with his mind so muddled by grief.

“It’s still colored in.” Namjoon whispered in awe.

“What… what does that mean?” Jimin asked quietly, furrowing his brow.

“I’m not sure but, it’s different than mine… Maybe that’s a good sign.” he suggested, grasping at straws as he tried to comfort the shorter man.

“A… a good sign…” Jimin’s monotonous voice echoed back. He was having a hard time imagining anything good in the world after all he had lost. How could anything ever be good again without Yoongi to share it with? The wheels in his head were turning slowly, trying to piece together the implications. “We… we have to go back.” Jimin realized aloud with a sharp gasp. “Hyung, we have to go back! What if he’s still alive!? What if he needs us!?” He was starting to get hysterical, his voice raising with every syllable uttered.  

“Calm down, Jimin. We need to be quiet.” Namjoon plead, trying to keep his own voice low, calm, and steady.

“Calm down!?” Jimin hissed angrily. “He’s still out there, hyung and he needs us!”

“Jimin-ah.” Namjoon whined. It hurt to see Jimin like this and it was all his fault. He too wanted to hope, to believe but he knew better. He knew that even if there was a Yoongi still walking this earth, it was a changed Yoongi, empty and broken and dead to the world.

“No, Namjoon!” Jimin spat, body rigid and fists clenched. “You guys don’t have to come with me. I can make it on my own.”

“What’s wrong?” Jin asked as he whisked through the front door of the shop with Hoseok tight on his heels, both men having heard Jimin’s raised voice from outside. The tension was high in the room, almost tangible.

“His tattoo still has color.” Namjoon whispered, realizing that pointing that fact out to the man may not have been the smartest move under the circumstances. He had been too taken aback by the discovery to think through the possible outcomes of sharing such information. He had been too excited, hope blossoming in his own heart.

“It what!?” Jin exclaimed, reaching out for Jimin’s hand but the younger man wrenched his hand out of Jin’s reach, scurrying behind Namjoon so no one could touch him. A small knot of fear that he had lost Jimin’s trust loosened inside him.  

They akward moment was interrupted by Jungkook’s voice ringing through the walkie talkies. “We have trouble.” he reported. “Something seems to have gotten the attention of the zombies out here and they’re moving your way.”

“.” Hoseok cursed under his breath. It had no doubt been Jimin’s raised voice that had gotten the monsters’ attention.

“We’re in the humvee.” Jungkook continued. “Just hold tight. We’re gonna blow this gas station and then drive around to pick you up by the front door once we see the distraction has worked.”

Jin sighed before pressing the button on the walkie talkie in his hand to speak. “Alright, Kookie. We’ll be ready. You two be safe.” he ordered.

“Will do, hyung.” Jungkook answered, a smile evident in his voice.

*******

Jin and Jungkook, and Taehyung and Hoseok had taken opposite directions around the long mini-mall, converging in front of the gas station. They moved stealthily, hiding behind cars and dumpsters, silently ending the scattered zombies that got in their path. They met where the gas cans they filled the day before still sat.

“I don’t see much movement in the store.” Jin observed aloud as he peered towards the open front, the glass having been completely broken out.

“There’s gotta be something edible in there.” Taehyung echoed, his stomach rumbling annoyingly.

“Okay, let’s split up, hyungs.” Jungkook nodded. “Two to get supplies and two to get this stuff back in the humvee.”

“Come with me, Hoseok-ah.” Jin tugged on the younger man’s arm and led him towards the store.

Hoseok steeled his nerves and followed the eldest while the other two men began hefting the heavy gas cans to teeter off towards their transportation. They made quick work of their tasks and after a bottle of water and a couple handfuls of trail mix back at the truck, Jin and Hoseok were headed back to the gun shop, Taehyung and Jungkook still finishing packing the humvee.

As Jin and Hoseok rounded the front of the mall, they noticed a handful of zombies sauntering their way towards the gun shop.

“.” Hoseok hissed. So far he had managed to leave the killing to the others but there was no way he’d get out of this without getting his blade dirty.

“They might be being attacked. Hurry.” Jin hissed back, trying to keep his voice low. Without waiting to see if Hoseok was following, he hurried along the storefronts, knees bent to keep him low to the ground.

Hoseok followed behind the elder, bent at the waist to keep low. They were almost halfway to the gun shop when they heard yelling coming from the shop. He didn’t have time to think as they came up behind two zombies who had almost made it to the front window of the shop.

Again, Hoseok took a second to center himself then lept at the zombie that had turned towards Jin when he attacked the other zombie. He drove his blade up under the beast’s jaw, twisting to assure he did enough damage, and then pulling the blade free. The zombie dropped to the ground but before he could recoup, another zombie was reaching for him. It got him by the shoulders in a bruising grip but before it could pull him forward, he was driving his knife in the side of its head.

As the zombie collapsed to the ground, a hand grabbed at his elbow. He swirled around, weapon ready to attack only to find Jin, arms crossed over his chest, smirking at him as if amused by the thought of the younger man being capable of hurting him. Under the playful sparkle, Hoseok could see pride and it warmed his heart to know he had finally stood up to his fears.

Another wave of shouting could be heard from the store and instantly Jin and Hoseok were walking through the door.

“What’s wrong?” Jin asked hurriedly, taking in the situation with a clinical eye. Namjoon was slightly hunched in on himself as if he was guilty of something while Jimin was facing him, eyes full of fire and chest heaving, a string of spittle hanging from his lower lip.

“His tattoo still has color.” Namjoon whispered and Jin felt his world tilt on it’s axis for a moment. Soulmates had become so rare that very little was taught about the phenomena; only a ‘so-and-so were soulmates’ and never a ‘this is how soulmates work’ therefore he wasn’t surprised by Namjoon’s confused look as he was sure his face had paled and jaw gone slack. He was one of only a few who knew that never in recorded history had a soulmate tattoo not turned black and white or returned to it’s original black outline when one soulmate died.

“It what!?” Jin exclaimed, not willing to believe without seeing it with his own eyes. He burst forward so he could take a look but Jimin instantly unfroze and jumped behind Namjoon’s back as if seeking protection. Jin was momentarily stunned that the man could move so fast on top of the shock of Namjoon’s statement.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment, no one sure how to break the sudden silence. Thankfully, the radio interrupted the awkwardness, giving Jin something else to focus on. Of course, he wasn’t thankful for long. “We have trouble.” Jungkook reported. “Something seems to have gotten the attention of the zombies out here and they’re moving your way.”

Jin shuffled towards the window, peeking through a space where the dark film had peeled away as Hoseok swore under his breath. Outside, a contingent of zombies had begin to aggregate like they knew their foodsource was nearby but they hadn’t pinpointed where yet. Jin couldn’t fathom where the large number had come from. They had only seen about a dozen when they had been getting the car but now there were close to thirty.

“We’re in the humvee.” Jungkook continued. “Just hold tight. We’re gonna blow this gas station and then drive around to pick you up by the front door once we see the distraction has worked.”

Jin sighed before pressing the button on the walkie talkie in his hand to speak. “Alright, Kookie. We’ll be ready. You two be safe.” he ordered, worry seeping from every pore.

“Will do, hyung.” Jungkook answered, a smile evident in his voice.

“.” Hoseok whispered under his breath, trying not to pace away his anxiety. He didn’t want to add to the attention they were getting outside. “They better not ing blow themselves up.” he whispered his worry into the room.  

“We have to go back.” Jimin stated as he stepped away from Namjoon, trying to look calm even as a tempest raged just beneath his surface.

“Go back?” Hoseok asked, confounded. “Where?”

“We have to go back for Yoongi.” Jimin gritted, his calm facade cracking with his need to be with his soulmate.

“We can’t go back, Jimin-ah. It’s too dangerous.” Jin tried reasoning with the man but he knew anything and everything he said would fall on deaf ears if it wasn’t acquiescence.

“You don’t understand, hyung!” Jimin exploded, spittle flying from his lips as he screamed. “He’s out there! He needs us!”

“If he is, he needs you safe and alive, Jimin.” Jin tried reasoning calmly again but reason had fled Jimin before Jin and Hoseok had even shown up. The elder could see it in the shorter man’s eyes.

“Then I’ll go on my own!” Jimin screamed, stomping towards the front door that zombies were now knocking against with their decaying bodies. Namjoon sprang forward before Jimin could push the door open, wrapping his arms around the now writhing body. “Let me go! LET ME GO!” Jimin screamed, getting his feet beneath him and turning in Namjoon’s arms, beating at his chest. Namjoon just pulled him closer, absorbing the assault with his skin and bones but feeling each powerful jab in his heart.

*******

After getting off the radio with Jin, Jungkook turned to look at Taehyung who had just driven his knife under the gaping jaw of a zombie, letting the body drop unceremoniously, “You ready, hyung?” the youngest asked, slightly nervous about starting a raging inferno.

“Yah! I was born ready.” Taehyung cooed cockily.

Jungkook stepped back a few steps as Taehyung crouched next to the port they had used to fill up their gas cans, pulling a black childproof Bic lighter from his pocket as he went. Namjoon’s shirt was still stuffed around the two hoses but the smell of fuel vapors hung heavy in the air. Carefully, Taehyung loosened the shirt, finding a long sleeve and pulling it along the ground to act like a wick.

Once he had the shirt situated, Taehyung turned to the side, heels of his feet pressed into the ground and hand steadying him like he was prepared to start a race. The shirtsleeve was in his peripheral vision as he struck the lighter with his thumb. A soft fwump could be heard before his hand got anywhere near the shirt, the vapors in the air catching on fire.

Instantly, the two men bolted for the car, baking heat heavy on their backs. They didn’t look back until they reached the humvee, Taehyung dashing around the front and climbing behind the wheel as Jungkook rocketed into the passenger seat and slammed his door shut. Already, a huge ball of fire larger than the humvee had ignited, garnering the attention of the zombies wending their way between the stopped vehicles.

“We have to get out of here, hyung.” Jungkook exclaimed. He had seen a video of a gas station explosion when he was younger and he knew this was the proverbial ‘calm before the storm.’

“Driving might get too much attention. Wait for a few more zombies to pass us.” Taehyung stage-whispered back, his head swiveling to look everywhere at once.

“That’s not the explosion, hyung. We’re too close.” Jungkook insisted, the 500 feet between them and the fire making him beyond nervous.

Taehyung hesitated a moment more before starting the humvee and driving away from the fire, working his way between stopped cars so he could get to the front of the strip-mall his lover and friends were holed up in. A few zombies followed the passing truck but most were seemingly preoccupied by the fire.

He had made it to the road that past the gas station drive and the side of the mall. He had to drive past the building and turn onto the perpendicular street in order to approach it from the front. There had to be fifty zombies in the parking lot but the majority of them were wandering around the building, the smoke and loud roar of the fire distracting them. Still, there were about a dozen pressed up against the glass of the gun store, trying to force their way to their prey.

“Hold tight.” Taehyung warned as he buckled his seatbelt. Jungkook’s eyes widened as he hurried to copy the elder, trying to fathom whatever the orange haired man was about to do. Taehyung followed the lined road that led around the parking lot until he was angled, facing the long front. Then he stepped on the gas, quickly picking up speed as he veered onto the sidewalk in front of the stores. He inched closer and closer as he drove into the line of zombies, clenching the wheel tight so the impact wouldn’t wrench the wheel out of his grasp.

“Shiiittt!” Jungkook screamed, holding onto the door handle with both hands but the clash and bounce that had rocked the vehicle only lasted a couple seconds. Then Taehyung was jerking the wheel to the side, driving back around to the storefront. Before Jungkook had caught his breath, the elder was jumping out of the humvee and piercing the downed bodies through the skull, making sure they were really dead.

Jungkook got out of the truck on slightly shaky legs, following the other’s lead. As he was stabbing the last zombie, he heard the door to the store open. Only then was he aware of the screaming that was coming from inside. Jin held the door open as Namjoon tried to force a writhing, punching JImin through the door and to the backseat of the humvee. He looked like a cat trying to escape water and in any other situation it would be funny but now it was just one more challenge to add to the list.

“NO! NO! I’M GOING! YOU CAN’T STOP ME! HE NEEDS ME! I HAVE TO BE WITH HIM! I HAVE TO GO TO HIM!”

BOOM!

Bravery isn’t the absence of fears. It’s the willingness to stand up to them.

I'm so proud of Hobi in this chapter tbh.

A/N:  *cough* *cough* Um, yeah, so... that happened...

Honestly, this chapter is longer than a lot of them because I was procrastinating the Jimin moments... Even so, I still had to split them up. It was too much for me to handle all at once. 

I also felt the need to give the characters a chance to process and mourn. I don't think I'd be giving them the credit they deserve otherwise. 

I’ve been told that I should have tagged ‘Major Character Death’ for this fic but, besides my fear of no one reading this if it was tagged, I have another reason as well. Just stick with me and we’ll get to that reason eventually.

Thank you so much for all the comments lately. I know it's been a hard journey but I'm so thankful that you're here with me. Please subscribe to keep up to date with updates and don't forget to upvote and leave comments. Comments are the breath of life, even now when times are hard. <3