Free Will

First Travels

"Cute~" Hoseok calls as he walks away.

As it happens, they do leave the next day. Jungkook had been worried about how much Jimin could carry, saying that even though Jimin was his Hyung he was really more like a small dog- cute, but essentially useless (Taehyung had told him off for that, getting Namjoon to slap the Maknae in his place.)

Needless to say, Jimin is carrying his fair share while he walks next to Tae. "Th-thank you for talking to Jungkook for me."

Tae looks at him with an 'are you kidding me' expression on his face. "Of. Course. I. Told. Him. Off!" He looks to where Jungkook is, near the front. "Kookie's been spending too much time with Yoongi, he's starting to forget how to respect all his Hyungs."

Ah, Jimin thinks, there's that nickname again, the one only Tae uses for Jungkook. I wonder what's going on between them.

Jimin glances back up at the front, and is surprised to see Yoongi has his arm around Jungkook's shoulder.

"Oh." He says.

"Huh?" Tae follows Jimin's focus to the two men. "Oh, yeah. Did you seriously think Yoongi just keeps a ten foot distance from all of us? That's a right given to you alone."

Jimin pouts at the words, causing Taehyung to coo at him. "You're so precious. In another life I would non-platonically date you."

Jimin blanks at the phrase. "What does 'non-platonically date' even mean?"

Namjoon, having been listening to their conversation from where he's walking with Jin, barks out a laugh. "He's trying to say he'd have sex with you, and honestly, he's not the only one."

Jimin is no stranger to the concept of sex, or the act itself, but he isn't shameless. He feels his face heat up, and he's pretty sure that the rest of his body is blushing too- all down to his toes. "Y-you guys are so d-dirty!"

The stutter is back, which once again causes Tae to coo at him. "Jin Hyung, come give Jimin a hug for me!"

Jimin is briefly puzzled by the request but is distracted when Jin slows down to meet them. "Keep calling me Hyung to my face and forgetting to use it behind my back and I'll stop feeding you." He says as he wraps his arms around Jimin.

"So does this mean I should just call you Jin?"

"Yah! Watch it!"

Taehyung laughs full-heartedly. "I'm only messing with you Hyung, I won't be another Kookie-"

"HEY!" Jungkook cries out.

Taehyung ignores him. "I don't tack on hyung when I don't talk to you, but when I am talking to you, I always use it. Speaking of which... I want a hug too, Hyung!"

Jin unlatches himself from Jimin's small body and re-fixes himself onto Tae. Jimin has a lot of questions about this weird relationship between the two, like why Tae doesn't let people other than Jin touch him even though he's so obviously starved for affection. He lets it go though, knowing that everyone has their reasons for how they act, and having seen that the others don't make a big deal out of it he decides not to either.

They stay in a half-embrace so that they can still walk for so long that Jimin starts to feel uncomfortable. He look at those walking ahead of him again and cringes at his options. Directly in front of him are Namjoon and Jungkook, the latter looks like he's halfway dead- probably because the former is stressing the importance of philosophy or something along those lines.

The only other option is Yoongi and Hoseok. Jimin's been wondering where they're headed and it was probably a safer bet to ask Hoseok than it was to distract Jin and risk the two men being injured or ask Namjoon and get pulled into a conversation about the current politics of a remote island no one's ever heard of.

Swallowing his pride- and fear -Jimin speeds up his pace, ignoring the pleading looks from Jungkook as he passes by him. For a moment he stands awkwardly behind the two men, trying not to listen to their conversation (he failed, they're talking about edible foliage). He taps Hobi's shoulder after only a moment, not wanting either of them to catch a glance of him and think he's just stalking them.

"Chim-ah!" He says. "What can I do for you?"

"H-hi," He stutters under Yoongi's harsh glare. "I was w-wonder where exactly we're walking t-to."

"That, boyo-boyo, is a great question." He slings his arm around Jimin's shoulder. "We're going up north- to the land of ice and snow."

"In the winter?!"

"Yup siree. Namjoon figured it out a few years ago. Most travellers, and even some full-time residents of the north, come down south to get away from the bone-chattering chill and the piercing winds. This leaves a lot of inns, and even homes, desperate for income. We have plenty of housing options to choose from so we just take the cheapest!"

"Oh." That does explain it. "Namjoon Hyung is crazy."

At that Hoseok laughs. "Sure is, but I guess that means genius is bred from insanity."

For a moment Jimin is impressed with what Hoseok said- but then Yoongi snorts and the illusion is ruined. He starts slowing down, not wanting to be around someone as negative as Yoongi.

"Chim." Says a voice that's never spoken his name before. "Don't get too close to Tae, alright."

Jimin gapes at Yoongi, unable to respond. The fact that Yoongi thinks Jimin would ever hurt Tae sends him reeling, and he turns to tell Hobi that 'time' and 'space' have done nothing for him. But his face isn't what Jimin was expecting, it's almost... Concerned? For Yoongi?

Jimin doesn't know why his face looks like that, and he tries not to care, tries not to let Yoongi's words affect him. He just falls back to where Tae and Jin have stopped hugging and carries on the conversation they'd been having.