Yoongi was confused as to how the letter arrived so quickly, but shook off the thought as he opened it,
"Dear Yoongi,
Hey man! Has it been two weeks already? Time flies fast when your boyfriend is dog sitting your best friends dog. Which by the way, they both miss you. I do too of course, but only a little bit ;)
Anyway, I hope you're staying out of trouble over there, and you're getting good photos. The manager position above you in the photos department just opened up by the way...boss said if you come back with a story that'll sell, there's a good chance for promotion.
Just thought I'd keep you updated. Fighting hyung!!
Stay safe,
Kim Namjoon
P.S.- Seokjin says hi and that he wants you to bring some of the "good stuff" home with you (He's talking about kimchi)."
A chuckle filled Yoongi as he read the letter, definitely something that his best friend, an award winning writer he'd call him, wrote. But nevertheless, Yoongi appreciated it, especially with the new information causing his drive for stories to suddenly kick into hard drive now.
When he lifted his gaze, he was met with Hoseok, his expression rather unreadable, but his eyes on the verge of worry, "What is it hyung? Is everything alright?"
The boy smiled, confused, "Of course it is Seok-ah, why wouldn't it be?"
Hoseok visibly relaxed, "Ah I just, um-"
"He wanted to know if you were single or not!" A challenging Jungkook yelled from the table they all sat at, his grin knowing and playful.
Hoseok gave him a pointed look, "No no no that's not-"
But the boy was cut off by Yoongi's loud laughter, the kind that fills the air like a ringing drum yet harmonizes with it like a blooming flower, the others couldn't help but to laugh along.
"Really? You think I would date Namjoon he's just, he's just a friend God no I would never heck no even the thought is just" And he was off laughing again, the concept so bazar to him, but then he looked over to the others still laughing, Hoseok too, and Yoongi realized that Hoseok has different kinds of laughs.
This, this was a laugh of relief.
Once they'd finished their meal and went their separate ways for the day, Hoseok whispered to Yoongi as the two walked a few steps behind the group, "I liked it."
Yoongi's eyes showed confusion as he looked towards the younger, "Liked what?"
"The nickname, no one's ever called me Seok-ah before. It's...um well it's..."
And the older waited, watching as Hoseok tried to find his words before finally sighing in defeat, "It's nice, I'll see ya hyung!" He quickly spoke before turning to go and do who knows what.
Nevertheless, Yoongi smiled, turning over the nickname in his head like a broken record, it fit him, Seok-ah.
_____
And like this, Yoongi had found himself fitting effortlessly into a routine, he'd share breakfast with the four boys whom he'd grown quite fond of, travel to the village with Taehyung and Jungkook, sometimes Jimin, and on rare occasions, Hoseok. But he'd always find that one family, the grandma and her little granddaughter who shined with an excitement beyond her time as Yoongi would help out in any way he could, searching for new stories he could tell along the way.
Than the day would come to a close, traveling back to the base was always interesting, hearing the small groups stories, even if the road back seemed to only be growing in distance as the cold began to take hold of the air a little more with every leaf that would fall. He'd dine with the boys, their rhythm loud and full of energy as they recounted their days, laughter roaring and smiles reaching their eyes.
And then, Yoongi and the boys would all go back to their dorms, Jungkook would always be the first to head back as Yoongi stayed behind, he'd found a semi secluded little place behind his dorm building. A little bit of greenery painted with a few trees behind the building, and encaged by the fence that circled the base a few feet away. Yoongi had found solitude in this little place, and strangely enough, so did Hoseok.
"O-oh um...hey." The younger offered, surprise clearly resting on his features as he looked down towards Yoongi, whose nose was stuck in the camera, gazing at the photos he'd taken that day.
Yoongi was focused but after hearing Hoseok's voice, he looked up, a little surprised as well, "Hey? How did you find me back here?"
"Um....well hyung I had some free time, and I wanted to talk to you but you always disappear after dinner...and you weren't in your dorm so I guess, intuition?" The boy tried, a hand scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.
"Well you found me, what do you want to talk about?" Yoongi asked, returning to the camera in his hands.
Hoseok sighed, "Could I join you, hyung?"
The older moved so that Hoseok could sit next to him and lean comfortably against the tree as well, gaze never leaving his photos. The boy wasted no time in joining him, rather close to Yoongi as he could feel the heat begin to rush to his cheeks, pulling the camera closer to his eyes.
"I just...I guess I feel like you haven't been looking me in the eye, ever since we came back from Pohang and I'm starting to get worried, if it's something I said I'm really sorry hyung I-"
Yoongi cut him off, "No. Sorry, I just..." lost in his thoughts, he looked down towards his photos as if they held the words he was searching for.
The younger noticed, "Ah hyung! Those are beautiful, could I see?" His lips forming into an "O" as his surprise reached his brown eyes. Hesitantly, but thankful in the change of topic, Yoongi let the man see, giggling all the while as the younger seemed to invent a new sound of surprise with every photo that appeared.
Like this, their routine was set, Hoseok stumbling upon Yoongi's solitude as he joined the older in reviewing the days photos. And somehow, Yoongi had wondered why he'd even been nervous, why he'd ever felt hurt towards the military, towards the war, towards the friends he has now.
Yoongi sighed, walking to his quiet, safe, hide out, a breath that inhaled the peace and laughter that his new friends, his new world brought him, and an exhale that reminded him why he was there, what he'd been through, how much he had to suffer.
But of course, no peace or state of mind can remain unchanged as Yoongi was walking back from his daily village run with, this time, Taehyung and Jimin, he was surprised to find a heated Jungkook, and a Hoseok, whose arms were crossed and lips pressed down.
The three boys quickly met the oncoming confrontation that was just outside the dorm building, Taehyung yelling first, "Hyung! Kookie! What's going on here?!"
Hoseok looked down with a heavy sigh, the dark circles under his eyes, Yoongi couldn't help but notice, becoming more prominent as Jungkook spoke, "It's nothing. Just forget about it."
The boy turned on his heel to leave but was stopped by Jimin's hand flying up to grab his forearm, "Kookie if there's something wrong we should all talk about it, maybe we can help?"
Jungkook's eyes grew wide before looking down, his expression unreadable as he was about to speak, but was cut off by Hoseok's voice, "Yoongi, I'm sending Jungkook to stay in Jimin's dorm for awhile, but I can't leave you in a room without any protection." He sighed, meeting the older's gaze, "So please understand, but I'll be rooming with you until orders change. Is that alright?"
Yoongi was surprised, "Y-yeah that's fine, why is that such a problem?" he looked at Hoseok, trying to find the answer in his eyes but was met with a smile, "It's not a problem if you don't think it is, now come on, I bet your all starving."
As Hoseok nodded with his head for the boys to follow, they all fell into step, joking like nothing had even happened. Yoongi couldn't help but to notice after a glance toward Jungkook, his face relaxed, normal, a small smile on his features, and a sense of surprise, hidden under his eyes.
Later that night, Hoseok never came to Yoongi's secret little world behind the dorms building, instead, Yoongi found himself alone, and rather missing the youngers presence. He didn't know why, why his heartbeat would quicken, why the boys low voice, so soft and vulnerable at times, gripped at his heart. He didn't understand, and maybe he never would, but he sighed anyway, accepting the cool air that breezed by, watching as the last leaf on the tree above him, gently came floating down.
_____
"Yoongi? Are you still up?" Hoseok asked, clearly realizing his silly question as he met Yoongi's gaze, who, was clearly wide awake, sitting by the window to the small room.
Yoongi smirked, suppressing a giggle at Hoseok's exasperated expression, but quickly letting the concern wash his heart when he noticed how tired the boy seemed, "You know it's one in the morning right? Don't you have to be up early?"
Hoseok smiled softly, walking over to the bed opposite Yoongi's before sitting down and resting his face in his hands, sighing, "I'll be fine. Long meeting, can't do anything about it."
But the older wasn't satisfied, walking over he sat on his own bed, a few feet separating the two but still, the air felt calmer in the low light, "What really happened back there? With Jungkook?" Yoongi paused as he hesitated, "Is he okay?"
Looking up Hoseok met Yoongi's eyes and somehow, someway, that was enough for Yoongi to know that he was okay. That they all were okay.
"Yeah, Jungkookie just...it's a lot for somebody his age to take in. I shouldn't tell you this but, he wants to go back. And as much as I want to send him back I can't, I just can't, he's so close, got just a few months left." Hoseok sighed, heavy, as if breathing out the weights that hung on his shoulders would help, "But I'll do everything I can do make him feel safe, make him feel protected. And so that's why he's with Jimin right now, and I'm with you."
"Jimin can protect him?"
Hoseok chuckled, "Jimin can hardly hurt a fly, but when Tae and Jimin say they practically raised Jungkookie, it's not a lie. He'll feel more at least this way, and I know Jimin wouldn't have any complains."
Yoongi smiled, before a question took over his voice, "Wait, but there was no need for you to switch was there?"
At this, Hoseok grinned, moving to untie his boots, "I gotta have somebody in here to protect you if something were to happen right? In case of an emergency, you got someone to go pew pew while you go click click."
Both of the boys laughed, a lively and joyous sound filling the small room before they both were covered in blankets, biding quiet goodnights.
__
Sleep didn't come easy for Yoongi, it hardly did when he would ask for sleeps embrace, but tonight, with a quiet rain pattering on the window, and the warmth from the other which he could feel from just a few feet away, falling asleep wasn't that difficult. That is until,
Until frantic breathing was coming from the bed next to him, Yoongi was wide awake in seconds, noticing how Hoseok's eyes were closed but his face held fear, so much fear. Yoongi jumped up and without any second thoughts he quickly made his way to the other, shaking his shoulders as he noticed beads of sweat forming him the youngers temple.
Hoseok's brown eyes eventually opened, surprise, terrified eyes as he muffled a scream into his hand, Yoongi was surprised, surprised when Hoseok stared at him, the youngers hands clasped onto his arms, as if he was drowning, and Yoongi was the solid breath of air he'd been searching for.
"Hey, hey Hoseok you're okay, breathe, breathe you're okay." Yoongi tried to chant as soothingly as he could, trying to believe in his own words as if that would prove them right, for both of them.
Hoseok's eyes never relaxed, his tense state like a brick wall beside Yoongi, "Just a nightmare yeah? You'll be okay, just breathe Seok-ah."
Yoongi could feel the boy start to calm beside him, his breathing softer, but still rough around the edges as he stared, unseeing, unmoving back towards Yoongi.
And the older thought maybe this is just what Hoseok needed, just someone to grab on to, to anchor him down and keep him steady. After a moment, Hoseok closed his eyes, "Sorry, sometimes...sometimes it's just hard hyung."
The older smiled softly, his heart aching as he reached out to pet the youngers hair, "I know Seok-ah, I know but you don't have to be alone. You know that right? Those dreams can't hurt you, you can't let them haunt you because that's all they are, dreams."
Hoseok hummed, eyes fluttering to a close as Yoongi ran his fingers through the boys light brown locks. His face calmer, peaceful, Yoongi noted. After a moment be moved to get up, figuring the younger had fallen asleep with his lack of movement before a hand grabbed his wrist.
A quiet, raw voice came from the younger, "Please, stay with me...I promise we can have five feet separating us but just...just for tonight..."
And Yoongi could feel his heart bloom like a meadow full of wildflowers in the heat of spring, an uncontrollable smile forming on his lips as he slowly joined Hoseok under the covers, "Seok-ah, this bed isn't even five feet wide."
Much to Yoongi's relief, Hoseok chuckled, giving the older little to no warning before hesitantly, and quiet lazily, as if testing the waters, lay his arm around Yoongi's middle. And the older, well, he sighed, "Oh come here." Before pulling Hoseok's shoulders closer, the younger instinctively nuzzling his nose into Yoongi's chest and his arm snaking tighter around the older.
It was strange, Yoongi thought, how the two of them fit so well together, like two jagged puzzle pieces, like a complete painting, like the sea and the shore, breathing in harmony, it was nice.
Yoongi felt Hoseok's breathing even, his arm around him growing limp and the older felt himself fall unto sleeps curtain, but before he fell, a soft whisper sang against his chest,
"I think...I don't want to lose you...hyung..."
___
A few days pass by and Yoongi, well, he doesn't mind it. Doesn't mind the routine he's found himself dancing with, doesn't mind the cold that had firmly settled over their little world while the warmth of his friends kept the fire burning. Yoongi doesn't mind sharing his photos with Hoseok, or the late night conversations they'd developed, or even the bed they would share when the night became too dark, too cold to breath in alone.
Yeah, Yoongi didn't mind at all.
But of course, nothing good ever stays that way, now does it? And this is exactly what Yoongi thought as he was abruptly woken up by the sound of a screeching alarm sounding throughout the room, shaking the whole building. Eyes suddenly shot open, wide, searching for his camera.
The sound was deafening, but his sigh of relief harmonized as he found the camera beside the bed, but Yoongi could practically feel the air around him freeze as he looked over to the empty bed across the room that stared back at him with a hollow gaze, and that's when it happened.
The first bomb.
A loud explosion sounded from outside the room, the air completely knocked out of the boy as he bent down, covering his head and camera. The window completely shattering to pieces for what felt like an eternity, a buzzing sound orchestrating itself in Yoongi's ears.
With shaking hands he wasn't even sure if he was breathing, if he had a pulse. But what mattered was getting that camera up to his face, and capturing what he'd just lived, what he'd just felt, things words could never construct, or relay, because there was nothing they could capture about it.
Nothing.
And that's what Yoongi realized as he walked over to the now open window, his feet gliding over the broken glass on the floor as his hands shook, but with a breath, he steadied the camera.
Click.
A rough hand grabbed his shoulder and whirled him around, Jungkook who seemed years older than his age was talking, no, yelling at him, there was fear and there was urgency in his eyes but Yoongi still couldn't focus. Couldn't hear, his mind paused as he stared, unmoving, towards the younger.
But then, there was Hoseok.
And that's when Yoongi's eyes focused just a little bit more, a faint drum in his chest and his mouth open for air because,
Because where was Hoseok?
Yoongi's eyes shifted from Jungkook to the empty bed that Hoseok had claimed as his and then back towards the younger, as if asking him, begging him for answers, and there was a spark of hope in the midst of fear in his eyes.
An impact from behind Yoongi sent both of the boys hurling to the ground, the broken glass painting red on their backs as the older closed his eyes, he couldn't feel the pain, but he had no choice but to listen as the buzzing sound in his ear resounded more and louder than before.
Eye's shooting open as soon as his limp body was being dragged by Jungkook, he wanted to feel pathetic, for being dragged by his dongsaengs he wanted to feel embarrassed, scared, anything. But all he could feel was the numbness the was welcomed by the silence in his mind. The silence from the world.
But he had to keep going, he wouldn't become dead weight,
Pressing on the cameras shutter, there was no sound, but somehow, he could feel the picture being taken. And before he knew it, the two of them where stumbling out of the building, chaos, it seemed like chaos as parts of the base had succumbed to the weapons wraft. Hundreds of people running in what seemed like a hundred directions, their mouths moving in soundless voices as Yoongi noticed the people, laying, unmoving or screaming in the places hit the worst around the base.
Yoongi couldn't process much, but he could tell it was Taehyung when the younger came running up to Jungkook and him, his face tired and scared, but there was that hopeful spark he'd seen in Jungkook's eyes earlier. Contagious.
It felt as if the world around them was becoming fabricated, like the sense of time and space was glitching and whatever calmness that was left in the air was wiped away by another bomb. This time, closer, and being outside Yoongi could feel the forceful impact against his numb skin.
But the bomb went off in the middle of the base, hardly anyone was anywhere near by let alone the three of them but nevertheless it was close enough to cause Yoongi's blood freeze in place, taking all of his energy to bring the camera up to his unfocused eyes,
Click.
Before he knew it he was being dragged behind Jungkook and Taehyung, towards the cafeteria building. Yoongi noticed Jimin's small figure on the way, tending to a hand full of men and women who were laying in the debris, he noted how strong his dongsaengs where, his friends allowed that faint, hopeful fire in his gut to burn quietly, and softly, so softly, you'd have to squint to know it was there at all.
Stopping by the side of the building Taehyung crouched down to where two metal doors laid in the ground, Yoongi was shocked he'd never seen them there before,
Click.
Taehyung said something to Jungkook, and Yoongi tried with everything he could to hear but all he could manage to make out was the buzzing that conquered his world. Yoongi wanted them all to get to safety, but what worried him the most, was he saw all of his friends, all of them alive and in one piece, okay,
Except one.
And he tried saying Hoseok's name, he might as well have been screaming it with as much force as it took to say a single name, to beg for the assurance, a nod, anything to confirm that he was okay. But of course he couldn't hear anything but the hum of nothingness, however, he was thankful when Jungkook and Taehyung turned to him with wide eyes.
Then, he wasn't thankful, not when the spark of hope that was held in their gazes was fading.
After a moment that seemed to last a lifetime, Jungkook dragged Yoongi through the metal doors in the ground, one foot in and an impact from behind sent Yoongi wheeling forward. His head promptly hitting something hard, something solid.
Another bomb, he noted, looking into the wall he'd just collapsed onto as if it had some kind of answer, some kind of solution. A throbbing sensation then began to rush through the boy, closing his eyes as he sat down against the wall.
At least he could feel his head again, he thought.
When he opened his eyes, Jungkook was sitting next to him, eyes closed and uneven breathes, he seemed tense. Yoongi couldn't help but to think he didn't deserve this, he's just a boy after all.
But than Yoongi heard the faint sound of people whispering, and he looked around, realizing in the dim light of the bunker, that they weren't alone.
He took another breath, focusing on the whispers, calming himself down, he focused on his breathing, on his pulse, on anything, anything to bring something normal back to this situation. Anything to make him feel like he was alive.
But he couldn't wait forever, "H-Hoseokie" he managed to croak out, his voice raw after hearing it for the first time since the attack.
Jungkook slowly opened his eyes, his strong features more prominent in the low light as he worried his lower lip.
And then Yoongi could start to feel his heart drop, "The village..."
The younger looked down, his voice quiet, strong, "It wasn't an airforce attack. Those were grenades. Which means someone got into the base or..."
"Or..." Yoongi edged, getting more and more impatient by the second.
"Or a spy. Tae said we don't know yet. Hobi hyung ordered all the troops to retreat to the bunker and let him and his team lead this, Jimin's team should be joining us here soon with the wounded. He's good at that stuff, swear he could have been a nurse or a doctor honestly." Jungkook spoke, as if this were all a dream but quickly continued, "Taehyung said they don't know where Hobi hyung is, after he gave the order they couldn't find him but...once we have the clear we're going to the village."
Yoongi's numb state was beginning to wash away and in its place, a heart that shattered into grains of sand after the sea kisses it goodnight, "W-why are we here?! Why aren't we over in the village right now?! Protecting them. But instead we're here. Protecting ourselves."
"Hyung." Jungkook snapped, the frustration and tiredness in his eyes seeping through his words, "If there's a spy among us, and we hull the whole base over to that village what do you think is going to happen? It's better they attack us here, than the civilians there."
The older signed, looking down as he noticed how his hands shook against his camera, "Fine."
Eventually Jimin and his herd of people joined them, and then not long after that, the metal doors above them opened, revealing a boxy smiling boy.
Yoongi, Jungkook and Jimin practically clung to Taehyung, as he looked towards the group, "Soldiers! I have orders from Lieutenant Jung, there will be more information over the attack we just experienced in the near future, but we can rest knowing there were no casualties. We're to start moving to the village now, bring the supplies for the day, and answer any questions they might have. Our radar says that they haven't been affected by this, we plan on keeping it that way, the wounded is to report to the infirmary immediately and is exempt from this mission. Clear?"
A resounding "Rodger." Came from the group as everyone went their separate ways.
Except Jimin, Jungkook and Yoongi, who stayed behind with Taehyung who held an uneasiness behind his smile.
"Did you find the spy? Who is he?" Jungkook couldn't help but to question in a hushed whisper.
Jimin leaned forward as Taehyung sighed, "W-well-"
"Hoseok. Where is he? Is he okay?" Yoongi interrupted, his heart beat faster than the drum in his head as Taehyung's expression dropped, something sad in his expresion as pain held his eyes,
"Hyung...Hobi's hurt."