A Day In September - BTS Zombie au

50: Let It Burn

(A/N: The 50th chapter. Can you guys believe it?)
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"You sure you're not gonna sleep?"

Jimin narrowed his eyes at Mara. She offered a reassuring smile as she gathered the chicken's eggs, the basket beginning to fill up.

"I'm up and at 'em. There's a lot to do today and Namjoon needs all of you to help rebuild the watchtower. Jin and I have to take care of the rest," she approached Jimin, gesturing to the basket, "You up for some eggs for breakfast?"

Jimin chuckled, "Actually yes, I'm quite hungry."

That's all it took for Mara to almost waltz into the lodge, headed straight for the kitchen to retrieve the pan. Meanwhile, Jimin started up a good fire, setting everything in place for Mara to cook.

Before the girl could step out, she looked down at her arms and torso, the material that hugged her reminding her of Hoseok's gesture. She slipped the jacket off, not wanting the smell of smoke to stick to it. She took quick steps up to the second floor, careful not to make too much noise. The door to her bedroom was closed, and upon trying the knob, it did not budge.

She locked herself in my room.

Mara skipped paying Haneul a visit, going to Hoseok's door and knocking gently. The door creaked open, the empty bedroom, the open blinds and made bed notifying Mara that Hoseok had awoken and been up for a bit. She heard the sound of chatter, of faint laughter coming from just a few feet away. She approached quietly, the door to Yoongi's bedroom open just a slit.

The sight warmed her heart.

Yoongi sat at the center of the room, pulled up to the radio that never left his room. Hoseok sat next to him, his arm hung loosely over Yoongi's shoulder. Their muffled chatter grew clearer, but their conversation was so innocent and lively that she opted to leave them alone. Their friendship was not apparent to the naked eye, but just a bit of clues and close attention could reveal the tight bond between the two men.

Mara retracted from the door and headed into Hoseok's room, placing his jacket on the bed neatly and joining Jimin outside. The two were joined by almost everyone—everyone but Haneul.

"Haneul is still asleep, and she doesn't look like she'll wake anytime soon," Mara announced, noticing Sam's eyes narrowing into slits just as a groggy Jungkook joined the circle. Mara noticed this tension, but she said nothing and instead began cooking.

Someone is clearly protective over Haneul.

"I'll help you," Jin offered, taking a seat at the other side of the smiling girl. She lightly nudged him and shook her head.

"It's my turn to feed you," she said, leaning close to whisper, "First egg is for you."

"You can give it to Nam-"

"Let me do something nice for you," Mara playfully scolded through bared teeth. This amused Jin, and he chuckled at her expressions before sitting back into the chair. Mara had to say that Haneul's ambition was quite invigorating. Maybe in a way, Haneul did help Mara realize that regardless of the past, Namjoon was making an effort to keep everyone safe. She had to return that favor out of gratitude. It was a give and take kind of thing.

Because it is really nice to make a house into a home.

Indeed she stood by what she'd said, but Mara was starting to believe that maybe Haneul was, too. Not in her own home, though.

"You're awfully generous today," Namjoon sat across from the fire, analyzing Mara's small smile and her light eyes. She was nothing like the day prior, when she was sulking and "picking fights" (she was still a little bitter over that one.). However, Mara would try to make amends that very day, in the hopes of deeming all of their problems water under the bridge. Of course, it wasn't just up to her. If Haneul refused to stop vilifying Mara, then that was on her. Mara wouldn't waste so much energy on someone who was going to leave anyway.