(A/N: TW for this chapter)
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"Keep her steady-"
"Don't move the reign-"
"God dammit!"
"Shit!" Mara yelped as she was thrown off the horse, falling with a loud thump to the ground. The snow did not cushion her fall, nor did the three idiots standing idly beside her. They watched with amusement as Mara struggled to keep the horses steady yet failed miserably just as Namjoon approached their back sides. She was continually launched off of the horse, falling without any drop of grace only to get back up and try again.
"Why am I on the horse again?!" Mara exclaimed, propping herself up only to glare at Namjoon. The latter tried to hide a smile, turning his back to her to fix the wagon back onto the horse.
Mara's face fell, and she got up from the ground, giving everyone a nasty glare.
"Can't handle a little horse-" Taehyung snorted.
"Something so easy to do and she can't do it," Hoseok shook his head, tone derisive as he approached to aid Namjoon. Instead of saying anything, Mara raised her middle fingers, showcasing the birdie to all four—even Jimin. Jimin pursed his lips in disapproval, crossing his arms and giving Mara an unimpressed look.
Mara shrugged unapologetically, "For you too." Mara brushed off the flakes of snow, sparing none of them a last word as she walked off, muttering obscenities under her breath.
The wagon trials had begun, and with it came Namjoon's attempts to build and customize the wagon he had created. After the truck his group used to ride was rendered useless, Namjoon decided to take it apart and repurpose it's parts. The cargo bed had been customized and sized down into a manageable wagon. Mara saw his vision, and she couldn't have thought of something better herself. It had taken him days for his vision to come to life, but with the help of other willing members, he was able to start his project. The only thing he hadn't figured out was how to attach the wagon to the horses, which he had asked Mara to help out with.
It took her longer than she would've liked to realize that Namjoon had only asked for her help to make a fool out of her. She didn't take too kindly to that. She had been hoping he would take her seriously and give her an actual task, but he seemed to patronize her more often than not. Some other men did not help put an end to it, only standing by to provoke her even further.
"She can't take a joke," Taehyung turned to Jimin, chuckling when he received a roll of the eyes from the other.
"It's like you guys are children," Jimin muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Mara held Millie, the chicken, in her arms, carrying the bird with her as she visited Jungkook at the stables. With a red nose and tinted cheeks, she approached with a pout and prodded Jungkook's shoulder.
He turned to her, eyeing the chicken, "Yeah?"
"I'm going to go crazy here," Mara cried out, holding the hen up to Jungkook, "I hold the chickens for comfort and try to remain sane while I'm at it."
Jungkook's lips spread into a grin, a hearty laugh coming from him. His eyes crinkled in delight, and he gently pet the chicken with adoration. He sighed as he moved on to pet Mara's head, a small smile on his face as he tried to console an annoyed Mara. The girl held the chicken back onto her chest, surprisingly placated by his gesture.
"You give him too much credit," Jungkook lightly spoke, "If you give him a reaction, he's gonna keep bothering you."
"Why do I have put up with him again?" Mara groaned.
"Because you love me and Jimin and Jin and you want to keep the peace," Jungkook singsonged, beginning to escort the horse out of its stable. He grabbed the brush from the hangers and began to brush the horse's coat and mane.
"I'd love to put my foot up his ass, that's what I'd love," Mara grumbled, cooing at the hen and scratching lightly at the top of its head.
"Up who's ass?" Jungkook distractedly asked.
"All of 'em."
"You only got two legs," Jungkook teasingly reminded.
"That's what I've got two fists for."
"Gross."
Despite being taken as a joke, Mara let it slide. She brushed off their immaturity, focusing on what was important for survival in order to keep herself from going crazy. She allowed herself the temporary anger but upon talking to those she liked, the rancor dissipated and turned to amusement.
They all want to be seen favorably by their leader, makes sense, she thought.
People had odd ways of showing their insecurities, and one of those ways was projecting. Mara was perceptive to people like Taehyung and Hoseok only to an extend, but their reasons of targeting her were still unknown to her.
"You're not being bullied."
"What is the definition of bullying?"
Jimin sighed, "Okay maybe technically it is bullying but-"
"But nothing!" Mara interrupted, leading the horse further into town. They'd gone for a supply run, sticking strictly to tools and other useful material they could find around the decrepit corners of town. There was nothing close to good they could scavenge so long after the end, but they could certainly make use of the spare materials lying around. It was still early in the day, with the afternoon bringing the sun to rest on their heads and shoulders.
Taehyung, Jimin, Jungkook and Mara had taken the trip upon themselves for the day. Jimin had given the two rivals (the rivalry was mostly one-sided) a warning to behave on their trip, threatening to make them do night watch together. That was more time than Mara ever wanted to spend with Taehyung, so she acquiesced and "zipped" her mouth shut.
To Taehyung's distaste, Jimin rode with Mara on her horse. He'd done it innocently but the look on Taehyung's face made it all the more rewarding.
"Alright, alright, you can stop there," Jimin motioned to the hardware shop around the corner, gesturing to everyone else, "Let's stop here and see if there's anything left. Yoongi asked for a flathead screwdriver and some wire cutters. Namjoon asked for bolt cutters, dunno if we'll...find that," Jimin muttered the last bit to himself, going down the list, "Um, Hoseok wanted sandpaper and Jin just wants some t-shirts. So last stop is the clothing store."
The four approached the entrance, all glancing at the dirty, molding sign that read 'only take what you need.' Clearly it had been ignored, left hanging by a thinning thread on the door handle. People's greediness prevailed ever before the apocalypse, so Mara doubted people had any respect for the establishment, especially not with the countless essentials inside.
"Does it really take four people for this?" Taehyung grumbled to himself, following everyone as they all brought the horses inside the store. The doors were quite huge and Mara suggested this instead of leaving them outside under constant supervision.
"Yes. We can bond a little more," Jimin sarcastically spoke, giving Taehyung a look. The latter looked him up and down before giving Jimin the cold shoulder, to which Jimin rolled his eyes at.
"Hate to break it to ya," Mara muttered as she looked through shelves, "But someone in this building is a jerk I refuse to speak to."
"Sorry," Jungkook let out a playfully saddened sigh, and Mara lightly elbowed him with a snort.
"Please just stay alert," Jimin called out, annoyance clear in his features. Mara and Jungkook shared a look before going into separate areas of building. There was not much left hanging on the racks. Regardless, the group searched every crevice for anything remotely useful. It was a dingy space with cobwebs and dust everywhere, leaving Mara to plug her nose to prevent from letting out a catastrophic sneeze. She was not the quiet type.
Mara had gone down several aisles, sighing in relief when spotting the sheets of sandpaper and the varying types of grit. Surprisingly there were plenty left, especially for metal and plastic. Mara snatched a couple of sheets, deciding to take some for her Bowie knife. There were paint rollers strewn about, discarded cans of paint and splats all over the ground. The hardware store was a complete mess.
"Wee!"
Mara was caught off guard when watching Jungkook whizz by on a cabinet dolly, cruising from aisle to aisle with a grin on his face. The dolly squeaked and groaned but it did not deter a carefree Jungkook. He giggled to himself as he sped past everyone. He came upon the aisle Taehyung was at, annoying him and prompting a scolding. Jungkook proceeded to accidentally run over Taehyung's foot, causing Taehyung to let out a yelp and hiss.
"You fucking idiot!" He snapped, groaning and cradling his foot with a grimace.
"Yah! What are you doing?! We have shit to do!" Jimin whined, in the process of shoving items into his backpack. Mara cackled from afar, receiving a glare from Taehyung, one she laughed even harder at.
"I've done absolutely nothing wrong," Jungkook proclaimed as he continued to ride around.
"Beep beep!" He piped, giving Mara a heads-up as he passed by her.
"Get off of that or I will take it from you!" Jimin warned, his hands on his hips as he gave Jungkook a look. Taking it with no drop of seriousness, Jungkook gave Jimin a smirk.
"That is if you can catch me," he challenged.
Mara watched with amusement as Jimin began to chase Jungkook around. There was no real threat to Jimin, even with his narrowed eyes and pursed lips. She could tell he was not genuinely angry—only mildly irritated. But even then, she would catch the twitch of Jimin's lips as he tried not to smile or laugh, even when faced with something as contagious as Jungkook's laughter.
Mara looked around the store, the squabble echoing as she left it behind when noticing a metal staircase. It lead up onto a balcony for the second floor, where a door with 'employees only' written on it was. With her hand on her holster, the girl jogged up the steps, lighthearted and hoping to find something worthwhile. Upon reaching the top, she was surprised when her legs hadn't begun to tremble. It had been a tough battle to regain strength, and she grew stronger every day. Though not fully replenished, she felt invigorated by the hard work and effort of everyday survival.
Mara casually walked down the balcony to the door, opening it without further though. She smiled when hearing Jungkook's laughter as he was presumably caught by a peeved Jimin.
It was the sight that hit her first. It wiped the smile clean off her face and made her stomach drop to her heels. It was the stench that hit second. The stench of a rotting corpse was not a pleasant one, especially not when spread all around the room in the form of splattered brain matter. A dead body was not something new, but the story left behind by some people was what truly moved those left to stumble upon the remains.
A wave of nausea rolled over Mara as her eyes looked over the mess. It was a decaying, maggot infested body of what once was a man. Around him was a swarm of flies, all landing and picking at whatever they landed on. His head, or whatever remained of it, was almost unrecognizable, left to look like a mesh of flesh and bones. His body leaned back onto his chair, his left hand limply holding onto a revolver. Behind him, splayed out on the bulletin board, was brown, dried blood and chunks of him. On that same bulletin, behind the blood and his pitiful body were the spray painted words 'Im sorry'. The office smelled absolutely rank, paired with the growing mildew, and it was a stench that you could not forget, one worse than any other smell in the world.
Mara covered her mouth, feeling herself gag with disgust. Even when closing her eyes, the wretched sight burned itself under her eyelids.
"Hey, come on," a pair of gentle hands fell on her shoulders, pulling her away. She doesn't remember when or how she got there, but when she came to her senses, she was sitting against the wall, outside of the hardware store. The cold winter air was hitting her rosy cheeks, and her face felt numb. Even when exposed to fresh air, somehow the smell lingered in her nose.
Mara felt her eyes water from going so long without blinking. When she did, she felt the burn, a tear leaving her eye without her wanting it to.
"Is that what I would've looked like?"
Her words left her lips before she could even process what she felt. It was all starting to come to her—all at once.
Jungkook sat mute beside her, his gaze just as distant as her's. He didn't respond, but his silence said everything. He anxiously fidgeted beside her, rubbing his hands and shoes together. His lips were pursed and he stayed that way as Mara let her realization sink in.
"I have a place to call home. I have you and Jimin and Jin. I have a life again. So why do I want to die so badly? I don't understand," Mara whispered. What she had witnessed was the demise of a human who let their pain and suffering get the best of them. It was hard to see the conclusion to their toughest and unfortunately last battle, especially when she was subject to those same suffocating prefacing thoughts.
"If I could, I would stop feeling that way. But it follows me everywhere I go," Mara lamented, "I'm sorry."
Jungkook shook his head, finally turning to Mara. He didn't seem all there, and it was a stark contrast to his playful attitude just minutes prior. She felt guilty for ruining the mood. Jungkook stared at the side of Mara's face, opening his mouth ever so slightly as if to say something. When nothing came out, he closed his lips and eventually his gaze dropped. He turned back around without saying anything, leaving the both of them to mull in silence.
"Guy left the keys to the back. Gonna go search there," Taehyung muttered, heading back down the staircase to another locked door. Jimin closed the door to the office gently behind him, expression solemn as he followed Taehyung down. Noticing Taehyung's cold exterior, Jimin peered over his shoulder at Taehyung's face. It was stone-y, with nothing to gauge what went on in his head.
"Are you still mad at me?" Jimin softly spoke, eyes trained on the back of Taehyung's head. The latter paused, giving Jimin a glance before opening the door with the set of keys after a brief trial-and-error session. Taehyung pulled out his flashlight, lighting up the hallway as they entered. They came across four other doors—two restrooms and two unknown rooms.
"Well, you can stay that way....jerk," Jimin muttered, stepping in front of Taehyung, snatching the flashlight and taking the lead. Jimin tried to distance himself, but before he could get too far, he was pulled back by Taehyung. Jimin yelped, the flashlight falling from his grip to the ground with a crack. It rolled on the ground, momentarily forgotten by the two that were now plunged into darkness.
Jimin couldn't see Taehyung at all, but what he did feel was him breathing down on his cheek. Jimin realized that they were chest to chest, their bodies so close that Jimin wondered if Taehyung could feel his heart beating a mile a minute. Taehyung's hand tightened around Jimin's waist,
"I'm the jerk? What about you?" He deeply mumbled.
Jimin could feel every syllable come from Taehyung's lips, and his nervousness worsened.
"What about me?" Jimin replied, tone bratty but still wavering. His hands were in tight fists up against his chest, so he loosened them up and let them rest on Taehyung's.
"You're so mean to me. Even when I defend you all the time. Can't you see what that does to me?" Taehyung softly spoke, almost in whine. Jimin squeezed his eyes shut, afraid of what would happen if he got closer.
"I can't pick sides. You're both my friends. What are you so afraid of?" Jimin sighed. He felt Taehyung's hand on his chin, cupping his face and bringing it closer for their foreheads to touch.
"I'm afraid of losing you," he whispered.
Jimin gulped, feeling his mouth dry up.
"You're not going to. You'll always be my best friend," Jimin reassured. His words didn't seem to please Taehyung too much, as the boy pulled away. Jimin's eyes adjusted to the darkness, and they finally saw Taehyung's silhouette. It backed away, motionless before him and expression indecipherable.
"Best friend? Always?" He asked, but it didn't sound reassured. His voice sounded...sad. Almost disappointed.
"Yes," Jimin whispered, "Always."
"Surprisingly we found everything," Jimin announced as he stepped out of the building, Taehyung and horses in tow. He approached the two, who were now standing by the entrance. Mara tried to shake off the dread that weighed her down at every step and she smiled, albeit awkwardly, at Jimin. He stepped forward and embraced her for a second, ruffling her hair when detaching and offering a warm smile. Jimin turned to Jungkook, tapping his chin and grinning.
"Chin up. Let's go to the retail store."
Taehyung climbed onto his horse, avoiding conversation with everyone and taking lead. Jimin eyed him, a blush forming onto his cheeks as he climbed onto one himself. He looked over to Mara, his hand preparing to extend out for her to jump onto his horse. However, his hand retreated when seeing Jungkook do the same thing, Mara climbing behind him instead. Jimin cleared his throat, gently nudging the horse into a light trot.
Mara felt a shyness overcome her when wrapping her arms around Jungkook. She did so very gently, which the boy seemed to notice. Without a care, Jungkook took hold of her hands, pulling them forward and wrapping them around him a little tighter.
"Hold on tight," he kindly suggested, guiding the horse to follow the other two that had already gained quite a distance. Mara took this as an invitation to also rest her head on his shoulder. She watched the pristine white snow blanket the city roads and roofs of every building. It was a beautiful sight, and she even spotted a white owl that softly hooted and flew from building to building. It stretched itself wide and tucked the world under its wings, making of the sky its boundless domain.
It wasn't too long before they reached the nearest clothing store. Surprisingly, the doors and windows were still intact, opening silently with a single tug of the handle. It was a sizeable store, with sections for men, women, and children. Mara wondered if anybody had been in this particular store before, but her question was answered when she came upon the children's section.
Mara stared somberly at the empty rack for baby clothes, everything from socks to hats to gloves. There was nothing left.
Good. On such a cold winter there's at least one baby out there staying warm.
Mara smiled to herself at the thought of a baby, at the thought of Aurora and Phoebe. Her mind was filled with thoughts of the two as she strolled by the women's section. There were long sleeved shirts and sweaters, some of which she freely took. Nights at the lodge were particularly cold, and with the draft nipping at every spot that was not covered by cloth, it was quite hard to sleep. Mara looked over to the men, seeing them also take and browse through clothing.
Upon reaching the clearance section of the women's clothes, Mara was delighted to find a couple of summer dresses. They were of different colors and sizes, patterns and designs. She had gone so long without wearing a dress, and she missed the times she got to doll herself up. Birthday dinners were a must, and so were the holidays. Mara's mother and father would always make her feel her feel beautiful in whatever she wore, and though sometimes she looked back on old photos with embarrassment at her sense of style, she thanked them for the freedom to self-express.
Mara looked down fondly at a specific dress, it's red color still vibrant despite the slight dust. She took her size from the rack, folding the summer dress and putting it into her bag. The group was not there for too long, for they did not delay any further. They had gathered enough extra clothes for everyone, Mara even grabbing some long-sleeves for Hoseok and Yoongi. She figured they could use them, as everybody's clothes were a bit tattered.
The group was on its trek home, through several inches of snow and naked trees. Though eerie, the wasteland had a comforting kind of dread that made you look to it with wonder. To wander the streets was to truly understand what absolute solitude was. Mara was no stranger to that, but somehow in the abandoned city, during winter and snowstorms, it didn't feel all too bad. The snow almost felt like a hug, and the buildings like silent but ever so present companions. There were quite a few freaks around the area, their trails marked in the snow and all leading to a certain direction. They must have been agitated by something, as they appeared to have risen from the ground and followed whatever had caught their attention.
The group's pace slowed momentarily, and they looked down the streets of the intersection as far as the fog would let them. From the distance, the freaks could be seen slowly disappearing into the fog, leaving behind only their dragging trails.
The three horses slowly trotted passed the intersection, shaking their heads to rid themselves of the falling snow that seemed to fall harder every passing minute. This did not fair well with the group, and continued down the street. It wasn't until the sound of a shout bounced from between the buildings. All four turned to the direction it came from, eyes widening and bodies stiffening up.
The sound of thumping followed, continuous and rhythmic, like that of a galloping horse. Indeed, through thickening fog, and just down the street passed a silhouette on horseback. They wore a long black cloak, flying down the intersection with a lantern that brightly glowed. The warm light stood out from the blue tinge of snowfall and concrete structures, lighting up a darkening sky. The cloaked figure paid no mind to the four, or rather did not notice them. It had been them who had awoken the freaks from their slumber, as not long after were a large group of freaks following in their path. It was strange to see other survivors out in the open. It was almost like a celestial event when people crossed paths with one another. It may have been for a split second but she was left surprised and somewhat fascinated. It was the illusion of a still functioning and civilized humanity that peaked her interest.
"Let's move before the fog gets any thicker and we get stuck out here," Taehyung suggested, turning his horse around and beginning to lead again.
"I think it might be too late for that," Jimin said with dismay, a concerned frown on his face as he looked down the direction they were heading. It had gotten so incredibly dark and foggy that visibility had decreased to about thirty feet. It was appalling that even at such an early hour, the day could appear as night. It was dangerous to wander during storms, and the one they were in only seemed to worsen. Mara looked to Jimin with worry, and he turned to her and Jungkook, sharing the same look.
"I think it'd be best if we sit this storm out. It doesn't look like it's lightening up!" Jungkook called out, the wind whipping and howling over his voice. Mara felt herself grown colder and her hands start to numb. Her face was rosy and nippy, hit by a flurry of snowflakes that stuck to her face and cluttered on her eyelashes and brows. She held onto Jungkook tighter.
"We're gonna die out here if we don't make a choice now!" Jungkook insisted, eyes shifting from to Taehyung to Jimin with urgency. The two shared a look before turning to the rest. Taehyung spoke first, irritation clear in his voice.
"Let's find somewhere to stay," he said.
"We can find our way home tomorrow!" Jimin piped, nodding to them. Taehyung's eyes scanned the area before them for a place to stay as everyone else remained alert. There was no way of telling if the stranger was alone, or if he would come back. Mara hoped that the storm would keep him away, but Mara also hoped that it would have mercy on her as well.
"Namjoon. This is Taehyung, do you copy?"
There was radio silence. Only an occasional static could be heard, but no response was ever received. Taehyung continued to radio in after attempting several times to communicate with the leader. They were alive and safe and would come back the next day, but now there was no way of letting Namjoon know that. The apartment complex they had sheltered in was surprisingly empty. The very few freaks they encountered were easily taken care of, and they were left to choose on out of the many homes to stay in. The horses were a trouble to find accommodation for, but upon seeing the garages belonging to the complex, they took a risk and left the three behind a closed garage with blankets on their backs. After looking around a bit, a two bedroom apartment sufficed. They spent all day sitting around, waiting for the storm to let up and the radio to work again. The day only grew darker and the snow only grew taller. The group now readied for bed after an odd day, gathering all the blankets they could to keep warm. There wasn't much conversation from anybody. Everyone seemed to be in a somber mood, so downcast and perturbed that nobody even tried to alleviate the heavy atmosphere.
Taehyung gripped the walkie tightly, sighing irritably. Jimin offered a shoulder squeeze, gently prying the radio from his hands.
"Don't break it," he playfully said. Taehyung sighed, letting the boy take it from him before leaning on the window sill, eyes distant as they watched the flurry of white blanket the streets of the city. Jimin placed the walkie on the nightstand, returning to lay on the bed.
"The radio signal is gonna be all kinds of fucked up with the snow," Jimin said, waiting for a response from Taehyung, but receiving none. He noticed that Taehyung seemed to be in a worse mood after the visit to the hardware store.
"You're not going to sleep?" Jimin quietly asked, receiving a shake of the head from Taehyung.
"I'll keep watch."
"We barricaded the door. I think we're good. Come on, you need to stay warm too," Jimin coaxed, lifting the blanket to make room for Taehyung. He waited expectantly for Taehyung to slip under the blankets, but he seemed to hesitate. Jimin let the covers fall.
"What's wrong?"
Taehyung gave a lazy shrug, crossing his arms and sitting back into the sill. He closed his lids, but instead of napping, his mind seemed to stay active, eyes still shifting. Jimin stared, watching as Taehyung's breath appeared and dissipated steadily in the cold of the room.
"You say that I'm being mean to you, but then I try to fix it and you just give me the cold shoulder," Jimin muttered, unconsciously pouting. He hated it when Taehyung went mute around him. He was usually so talkative and smiley with him, but now he was so different. Taehyung was acting like he did around strangers. Jimin wasn't a stranger. They were supposed to be best friends.
Taehyung opened his eyes slowly, casting them down on the ground below. The barrier of fog was impenetrable.
"I just wish Mara wasn't here," Taehyung lowly spoke, "Because she's changed you. And I can't tell if for the better or for the worse."
Jimin scoffed, "I used to rely on you to protect me. Now I can pull my own weight. I don't see why that bothers you so much-"
"I feel like I can't protect you without looking like a dick," Taehyung snapped, "She villainizes everything I do and you sit there and doubt me. That's what I mean."
"You add fire to the flame with the way you talk to her! Why can't you just be nice?!" Jimin whisper-yelled, incredulously gesticulating. Taehyung gave a humorless laugh, shaking his head in disbelief.
"She's gonna be the death of us, I just know it," Taehyung coldly muttered. Turning back to the window after giving Jimin a lingering glance.
"If you're not going to get along with her, at least get along with me," Jimin softly plead. Taehyung clenched his jaw.
"I don't want to lose you to your anger," He mumbled, turning his back to the window and trying to close his eyes for some sleep. He didn't want to argue anymore. He didn't want constantly be at odds with everyone. He wished everyone would be placated, getting along and not always trying to get a rise out of one another.
Jimin didn't further disturb Taehyung with suggestions that he continued to ignore. Instead he dejectedly went to bed and tried to block the stream of thoughts in his head. He had already bid a goodnight to Jungkook and Mara, feeling like a dad with his two children whom had amusingly taken the room with the bunk beds.
The two younger ones had not slept one bit yet. Not when Mara was trembling from the cold and her breath was audibly shuddering. She couldn't control it, and though she had a blanket on her, the air seemed to filter through the material. Jungkook hadn't slept either. His eyes were glued to the underside of the top bunk, where Mara slept. He too was cold, but he wasn't as apparently cold as she was.
Mara tried her best to silence herself, hoping to not disturb who she thought was a sleeping Jungkook. However, she could not get the shivering to stop. It was an onslaught of cold outside and the girl doubted that it would get any warmer.
Mara pursed her lips and sheepishly smiled when Jungkook ever so slowly rose up into view, leaning his arms leaning on the railing of the top bunk. He raised a brow at her, eyeing how she was covered up to her neck and still cold.
"I'm sorry. D-Did I wake you up?" She stuttered, covering her mouth up again after speaking. Jungkook shook his head slowly, lightly chuckling.
"No."
"Oh."
"I can hear you from down there, though," Jungkook teased, "Maybe if you shake a little faster you can burst into flames and be warm that way."
Mara gave a shuddering laugh, "I h-hate you."
Jungkook grew somber, and he scratched the back of his neck a bit awkwardly. Mara watched this behavior, frowning.
"Hey, y-you don't have t-to stay awake. Go to sleep."
Jungkook immediately shook his head, "I can't."
"Why not?"
Jungkook looked at Mara, sighing, "I can't sleep knowing that you're struggling to stay warm."
Flattered by his concern, but guilty for keeping him awake, she shrugged, "I don't know why I'm so cold, I guess the blanket is thinning out I think," Mara said, "Unless we find some blankets in the other apartm-"
"It's too late for that," Jungkook shook his head, "Let me help keep you warm?" He suggested, but it came out as a question.
Mara blinked, and without thinking she nodded. She doubted he actually meant what she thought he meant, and she thought herself to be wrong when he threw his bedsheets onto her from below, completely burying her in blankets. Mara let out a muffled giggle, lifting her arms to uncover her face.
"Jesus. What about you-"
Mara stopped talking when Jungkook sighed, landing softly next to her on the top bunk and nudging himself closer. He frowned as he tried to adjust, opening his arms and looking expectantly at Mara.
"You coming?"
Mara nodded ever so slightly, shuffling closer to Jungkook only to be pulled into his arms. Her head rested comfortably on the crook of his neck and arms wrapped around his waist.
How is he so warm?!
"Today was so weird," Jungkook suddenly whispered.
"You felt that too?" Mara replied, looking up at him. He was frowning, eyes shifting in thought.
"Yeah. It's like I had so much on my mind. I usually talk a lot but today I was at a loss for words," he said. Mara was reminded of what she'd seen that day, and her talk with Jungkook. Even though he hadn't said anything, him lending an ear was enough for her.
"It happens," Mara comforted, "Sometimes we don't have to say anything."
Jungkook stared up at the ceiling, "Yeah but...I'm afraid of losing my voice, of being the quiet pushover I used to be."
"If that happens, I'll let you use my voice," Mara offered, "You can say whatever you want through me."
"What if I wanted you to say 'penis'?" Jungkook challenged.
Mara snorted, "You'd get your voice rights taken away."
"You owe me still for drawing that penis on my face a while back," Jungkook claimed, looking pointedly at Mara. Mara laughed, still remembering the look on Jin's face when he'd walked in behind Namjoon, right after the leader had scolded them for being childish.
"It was a privilege to have your pretty face as my canvas," Mara teased. Jungkook rolled his eyes, a smile threatening to spread on his face.
"I hate you."
"Feeling is mutual. But anyways, let's get some sleep," Mara patted his chest, "Try not to think about it too much. We'll be back home tomorrow, and we'll feel better," Mara covered Jungkook with the rest of the blankets, snuggling back up when she was done. He welcomed her in tightly, and it felt like only an instant had passed in which she no longer felt cold, only a spreading warmth inside and out. She didn't feel any lingering awkwardness or discomfort, in fact she felt so soothed by the way Jungkook occasionally rubbed her back. He would lean on her and deeply sigh, just as comfortable as she was.
Mara didn't find it hard to be lulled into sleep, in fact it came easily now that she was warmly wrapped up.
——
Today's chapter wasn't too eventful, sorry guys.
-wethenaive