something in the water ∙ jjk ✓

2 ↝ the artform of chaos

When your eyes pry open, a film of softening lethargy blurs your vision, and you feel toasty.

The sound of Island In The Sun by Weezer and the loud thrum of an engine steadily grows in your hearing. The bliss of unconsciousness slips away, leaving your memory muddled for the first ten seconds of returning to reality. Then, you remember your friends at your doorstep at the break of dawn; the spontaneous kumbaya camping trip; a promise genuinely fulfilled for you to gain the few hours of sleep that you had lost as a result.

Slowly, you blink away the bleariness and listlessly bury a knuckle into your left eye socket, effectively speeding up the process. Once you are almost able to see clearly, you gradually realise it is not a pillow that you are cosily tucked against. Rather, it is Taehyung with his arm curled loosely around your shoulders.

Placidly, you breathe in. The mouthwatering, roasted scent of steaming hot coffee fills your senses, leaving you absolutely salivating for a taste of the liquefied heaven.

"Tae," you croon groggily, languidly moving your head from where it is pressed to the side of his chest. You rest your chin on his shoulder and lick your dry lips with anticipation. "Give me the..."

Your sentence trails off, caught somewhere within the second of comprehension where your gaze focuses on the face of your best friend, looking down at you attentively.

Except it is not Taehyung.

"Mornin', sunshine," trickles honey sweet into your ears. An icy, horrified chill rushes over your body, like you have been dumped butt-naked into the Arctic Ocean.

"Oh," is all you can say, staring wide-eyed at Jeongguk for a passing breath. You unintentionally bask in the proximity before you lurch back from him with a strangled squeal. Taehyung makes a sound of protest when Jeongguk, startled, rips his arm away from you and crashes into the person who was supposed to be sitting in the middle. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry Jeongguk, I didn't mean to fall asleep on you–"

"It's fine, I was cool with it," Jeongguk shrugs, wearing a darling smile that renders you a little too breathless for your liking. Then, he lifts his hand towards you. His long fingers hold a takeaway cup of the sole thing you have been dying for since you were so rudely awoken.

"'Give me the coffee' was it?" he continues from where you had initially left off. The corners of his mouth climb higher as you greedily grab at the cooling caffeine, taking a sip from the plastic lid without an inch of hesitation. You barely manage to withhold a moan of delight as the strong, roasted flavour graces your tastebuds.

"Lifesaver," you pleasantly hum as a way of thanks. Drinking another mouthful of coffee, you readjust yourself to lean against the window, facing Jeongguk, who plucks his own coffee from the cardboard tray positioned on the centre console.

Jeongguk continues to watch you with such intrigue that you nearly wish to ask him if there is something on your face. Your knee remains to rest against his own; hard to avoid when his thighs are just that big. The middle seat is not exactly fitting for someone as broad and bulky as him. Well, not that you are complaining. He slightly sways his leg side-to-side in a fidget, knocking softly against your own and sending fizzles of electricity through your nerves with each bump.

You clear your throat of the built-up grogginess, asking, "When did you guys stop?"

"About fifteen minutes ago at the usual gas station we go to, the one that's half an hour out from the lake," Seokjin says, nursing his own cup of coffee. In the review mirror, his eyes cut towards Taehyung, who is bunched up against the opposite window to you and singing along to the music. "But that wasn't the first stop. Oh no, we stopped three times before that so Taehyung could take a leak on the side of the road. Lord knows where all that piss is even coming from when he hasn't had any liquids since last night. He's on a piss ban, now. No more stops."