A week had passed. Jungkook and Jimin still stayed by the river, learning how to trap small animals and find the plants that they could eat. It took a bit of trial and error, including a close call with some berries that had looked like something safe but had turned out to be very unsafe. It was a good thing they let the animals eat it before they did or they might have been dead by now.

 

    “Shouldn't we try to find somewhere else to live? A real city or town?” Jimin asked one evening as they ate the squirrel they had caught. Jungkook looked up at him for a moment before returning his attention to his meal.

 

    “I don't know. We're not sure if our city was the only one hit by the bombs. What if there aren't any places near here that weren't destroyed?” Jimin frowned.

 

    "We should still try, don't you think? It's our best chance at survival, like coming into the woods was.”

 

    “Fair point. Okay. We can leave in a couple days, should stock up on food and water first,” Jungkook said.

 

    “Okay.”

 

    They finished their meal in silence, watching the sun set behind the trees. The soft rays calmed Jimin’s nervous heart and he let a small smile lift the corners of his mouth. Jungkook saw this and felt his heart do a little flip. He hadn't felt things like this before, he had no idea what it meant, but he did know that only Jimin was able to make him feel this way.

 

    And it had only been in the last couple days. Every smile made him feel light and dizzy, every touch sent a shiver through him. When Jimin spoke Jungkook swore it was the prettiest sound he had ever heard. When he laughed - which was rare these days but Jungkook could always get at least a small giggle out of him if he really tried - it was like the angels were singing and the sun was shining and the world was perfect.

 

    Jimin found himself feeling similar things about Jungkook. Small touches like holding hands set his skin on fire. Sleeping curled up together made his heart beat so loudly he feared that Jungkook could hear it. But he felt untouchable in Jungkook’s arms. At peace. Meals shared beside the fire held a certain intimate feeling. Jimin wondered if Jungkook felt it as well.

 

    He did.

 

……….

 

Jungkook had the backpack slung over his shoulders and he stomped out the fire, glancing at Jimin who was filling a bottle with water. Jimin finished and brought the bottle and pot over, stuffing them into Jungkook’s bag.

 

    "Ready to go?” he asked. Jungkook nodded with determination.

 

    "Ready.” They set off to the west, opposite the way the city lay. Jimin naturally slipped his hand into Jungkook’s. The younger intertwined their fingers and held on tight. Supportive. Reassuring. Like he always was.

 

    "Do you know where we're going?” Jimin asked after a while of stepping through the forest.

 

    "No idea. But we'll find somewhere.” They continued on in silence. Walked until dusk fell. Jungkook found them a place to sleep and they made a small fire, eating a small amount of their food for dinner. They slept curled up together, especially close now that they didn't have their shelter for warmth.

In the morning the pair continued walking, not stopping until they felt their stomachs growl. A quick lunch. More walking. Eating a small dinner by a small fire. Sleeping. Rinse and repeat.

 

    This cycle went on for a couple more days until finally they reached the edge of the forest. And at the edge of the forest there was a city. It was in ruins. Jimin sighed and lowered himself to the ground.

 

    "Now what?” Jungkook kneeled beside Jimin and petted his hair, letting Jimin lean his head on his shoulder. They stared at the ruins for a moment before Jungkook answered.

 

    “We keep walking.”

 

    And so they did. This time through the city and after that across country fields and farmland. At night they found themselves touching each other without reason, a hand lingering on a waist or a hand. They slept facing each other, limbs tangled and bodies pressed together.

 

    On a particularly quiet night Jungkook stared at Jimin for some time as they lay in a field of wheat together. Jimin found himself unable to sleep under the intense gaze and he spoke, if only to break the silence.

 

    “What's up?” The question sounded too mundane after everything that had happened. Jungkook smiled, seeming to have the same thoughts, and Jimin’s back.

 

    “Nothing. Thinking about you.” Jimin felt his cheeks heat up and he stared at his hands, clinging to the fabric of Jungkook’s shirt.

 

    “O-oh?” Jungkook lifted Jimin’s head gently, slowly. Made him look him in the eyes. Jimin fidgeted nervously.

 

    “I'm glad we're together,” Jungkook said before leaning in. The world stopped as his lips touched Jimin’s. The kiss was light, so light. Sweet. Everything Jungkook had been hoping for. And Jimin, too.

 

    After that it became routine to kiss each other goodnight. And after a while good morning as well. The friends had become something between friends and boyfriends. Neither said anything but they both felt the shift in mood, the change in behaviour. It was better. More comfortable, like this is what they had been meant for all along.

 

    After a week of slow travelling and kissing and more travelling they came across a farmhouse that looked untouched. As if nobody had been there for years.

 

    “Should we check it out?” Jimin asked slowly. Silently, Jungkook nodded and lead Jimin to the house. It was small, a short brown wooden fence around the perimeter of what must have been someone's property once upon a time.

 

    “Looks abandoned,” Jimin mused to himself. Jungkook walked to the door and tried to turn the handle. Unlocked. He pushed the door open slowly and peered inside.

The front room was small, quaint, an old television that surely didn't work anymore and a couch with a floral pattern on one side. The kitchen was beside this room, only a fridge and a table inside. Stairs leading up, another room to the side that Jungkook couldn't see into, and a back door. It looked nice.

 

    “I wonder who lived here before. And how long it's been since anyone did,” Jimin said.

 

    “Who knows. But I think we should stay here for now. We have food and water, if we need more I think I saw a creek a little ways from here.” They went inside, the door closing behind them with a creak. Jimin sat on the couch, seeming to agree with Jungkook’s suggestion, and looked around a bit more.

 

    An old wall mounted telephone. A coffee table that looked ready to collapse if you set a cup down on it. Creaky floors. No working electricity or running water. Jungkook went upstairs and a few moments later came down to sit next to Jimin on the couch.

 

    “Two bedrooms upstairs and one bathroom,” he said. Jimin nodded. The thought of sleeping in a bed all by himself, in a whole room all by himself, should have been enticing. Instead Jimin hoped that Jungkook wouldn't suggest taking separate rooms. He didn't want to sleep alone. He'd become too used to Jungkook holding him, whispering to him, kissing him goodnight.

 

    “Want to…” Jimin couldn't finish his sentence, the embarrassment of asking too great. Jungkook seemed to know what he was saying though.

 

    “Want to share a room?” the younger asked. Jimin nodded, thankful to Jungkook for asking instead.

 

    “Come upstairs and see which one you like more.” Jungkook took Jimin’s hand and brought him up the stairs, which creaked in protest.

 

    “I like this one.” Jimin pointed to the room on the left.

 

    “Yeah? Okay, we'll stay in here then.” Jungkook pulled him inside and sat on the bed. The mattress was surprisingly soft, or maybe it was just that they had been sleeping on the ground for about a month. The bed sheets were soft and welcoming, the pillows heaven as they lay down together.

 

    “Well, we found our first real place to stay in, so I'd say today was successful,” Jungkook said as he lay on his back with Jimin beside him.

 

    “Yeah it was.” Jimin stared at the ceiling, his heart rate picking up as an idea entered his mind.

 

    “I think we should celebrate,” Jimin said lowly. Jungkook quirked an eyebrow, curious.

 

    “Oh? And how should we do that?” He felt the mattress move as Jimin shifted his weight, watched as Jimin rose onto his knees and slowly swung a leg over Jungkook’s own, settling himself in his lap. He played with the fabric of Jungkook’s shirt, dragging it down to reveal his collarbones. He leaned down and kissed Jungkook’s neck lightly and the younger shivered.

 

    “Like this.” Jimin snuck his hands under Jungkook’s shirt and ran them over his abs, which jumped at the touch. Jungkook gasped lightly at the sensation, Jimin smiling to himself as he pushed the shirt upwards, revealing more of Jungkook’s torso.

 

    Jimin pushed the fabric up, up, up until Jungkook half sat up and raised his arms, letting Jimin pull the shirt off of him. He lay back down and felt himself blush slightly at being exposed but his shyness was erased when Jimin pinched a carefully. Jungkook held in a moan and twitched, a gasp escaping his lips.

 

    “Is this okay?” Jimin asked as he continued to play with the sensitive bud. Jungkook grabbed Jimin’s wrist and paused him, breathing shallowly.

 

    “I should be making you feel good.” Jimin smirked and moved his hand to the tent growing in Jungkook’s pants.

 

    “Maybe later.” Jimin rubbed Jungkook through his clothing and the younger moaned quietly, watching Jimin. The boy pulled Jungkook’s pants off, then his underwear, taking in the sight of Jungkook . He had seen it before, you can't avoid it when you're as close friends as they were, but this was different.

 

    This time they were doing things friends don't do. They were finally deciding that they were in fact more than friends. Jimin smiled as he touched Jungkook, taking in the sounds he made and the way his body reacted to things Jimin did. He soaked it all in, storing it away in his brain for future use.

 

    Jungkook moaned and gasped when Jimin lowered his head to take him into his mouth. His hands wove into Jimin’s hair encouragingly and he watched as Jimin him off. He warned Jimin when he was near his end and the boy finished him with his hand, watching him with pride. Jimin felt good knowing he could please Jungkook.

 

    “Come here,” Jungkook whispered. He pulled Jimin up to lay his head on his chest. Jimin happily complied, closing his eyes and sighing as a hand his hair.

 

    “Do you need me to help you now?” Jungkook asked and touched Jimin’s through his clothes.

 

    “Only if you want to.” Jungkook wanted to. He got Jimin and got his revenge for the teasing by pinching and Jimin’s s until he begged and whined enough to convince Jungkook to stop.

 

    Jungkook returned the favour and gave Jimin a , loving every sound he made, every whine, every moan. He went slow, stopped for a moment when Jimin warned him he was close. He didn't want it to end. Didn't want Jimin’s beautiful moans to stop.

 

    “Jungkook, you , I wanna come,” Jimin complained as Jungkook brought him to the edge of his and stopped for the second time.

 

    “But you're so beautiful, I don't want this to end,” Jungkook replied. Jimin blushed and shoved Jungkook’s head down towards in half embarrassment half annoyance.

 

    “Just finish me off,” he grumbled. Jungkook did as he was told and he swore angels came down from the heavens and blessed him with the most beautiful cry of pleasure in existence as Jimin came. Out of breath and sweating, Jimin motioned for Jungkook to lay beside him.

 

    “Was that the celebration you had in mind?” Jungkook asked when they were settled comfortably.

 

    “It was exactly what I had in mind.” After that they fell asleep, even though it was only dinner time, and they slept through the night. Something that hadn't happened in a long time.

 

……..

 

    It had been a year since the nuclear war that destroyed Jungkook and Jimin’s city. They had been living in the farmhouse for most of that time, fixing it up a bit so the stairs didn't creak as much and the coffee table was usable and the fence outside didn't fall down. They had talked about leaving and finding a proper city or town to live in, but they quickly dismissed the idea. They were happy here.

 

    Jungkook and Jimin still had no idea how far the effects of the war reached. If there was a city ten miles from them or ten weeks from them. So they stayed. They stayed in the farmhouse, made it their own. They learned to hunt larger animals, learned how to preserve the meat. They made regular trips to the nearby creek and filled jugs with water.

 

    They never saw other people, save for one time a few people had stumbled to their door in search of food. They were from a destroyed city too. Three months after the war and they hadn't found a single city that wasn't in pieces. This was the main reason Jungkook and Jimin decided to make a home in the farmhouse. It was safe. Isolated. Reliable. They knew it existed, they didn't know if a safe city did.

    And so they stayed. They lived. They grew older. They considered themselves married. They sat on the front porch in the sun and cuddled. They stayed up at night and pleased each other. They ate meals and drank old wine they found by the brick fireplace. And they were happy