"Y/N IS MISSING!"

"WHAT?!"

"HER TENT'S EMPTY-"

"WHERE'D SHE GO?"

I rub my eyes and groan, still sleepy. How is it morning already? I turn over and pull the sleeping bag over my ears.

"JUNGKOOK! JUNGKOOK SHE'S MISSING!" A voice rapidly travels towards us like the impending doom of a test I haven't studied for. "Y/N'S GONE AND SHE ISN'T IN THE - oh."

I lift myself up and squint at the entrance, where Jin's head is poking through the tent flap. My sleepy gaze meets his flabbergasted one.

He clears his throat awkwardly, averting his eyes to the still-sleeping Jungkook, before looking back at me with a peculiar expression.

"... did you two have fun last night?"

"Fun?" I repeat.

"Yes, fun. Together. Last night." Jin raises his eyebrows. "As two people would when they -"

"What? No! We were just sleeping in the same tent, that's all. It's not what you're thinking," I glare at him as he desperately tries to muffle his laughter. "We couldn't fall asleep after the Jimin thing so now we're here. I'm telling the truth!"

Jin manages to control himself and adopt a perfect straight face right after I finish talking.

"I trust you," he says, cool and collected. I can still detect faint traces of laughter in his voice though. "Anyways, it's morning now and Namjoon's about to tell us his finished plan so it's time to get up. JUNGKOOK-AH!"

Jungkook grunts unhappily.

"Ya, get up! Even Y/n's already awake."

"But I wanna sleeeeeep," he groans.

Jin scoffs and mumbles something that sounds like "kids these days" under his breath. He pauses to think, and then tries again with a knowing look. "It's snowing outside."

"Hm?" Jungkook perks up from his sleeping bag. His hair is messily cute and there's still sleep in his eyes, but now there's also excitement. "It's snowing?!"

"And it's snowing a lot," Jin emphasizes. "So wake up before you miss it."

"Yes hyung!"

Jin nods and leaves to let us get ready.

There's a brief moment of quiet in the tent as Jungkook and I stare at each other, listening to the muffled conversation outside.

"She's in Jungkook's tent."

"Oh my gosh that's so cute!" J-Hope exclaims.

"Really?" Namjoon's surprised. "I didn't think they'd go that far."

"They didn't. Y/n says nothing happened."

"But how can we be sure?"

"Shush Taehyung!"

"Well I can't believe it's snowing," Jungkook says. He ignores the conversation outside so it's not awkward which I'm thankful for. Then, unable to contain his excitement any longer, he wiggles out of his sleeping bag and lifts up the tent flap. "Look at all those snowflakes!"

The tiredness and worry from last night have been replaced by innocent excitement. I smile fondly and join him next to the entrance.

Sure enough, it's snowing outside, the sky a beautiful shade of white dotted with falling sparkles. Jungkook stretches out a hand in awe and we watch some of the snowflakes fall on his hand and melt away.

"We should have a snowfall fight!"

"There isn't enough snow on the ground yet," I laugh at how giddy he is.

"Yeah, but we should have one when there is!" Jungkook brings his hand back and turns to face me with wide, doe eyes. "Wanna be on my team? Controlling air is the best for snowball fights because you can change the direction of the snowball in midair. I've gotta teach you how to do that -"

"Ya! Are you two ready yet?" Jin calls for us.

"Almost!" Jungkook yells.

"Well hurry up!"

Jungkook looks back at me and holds out his right pinky. "Promise me we'll play in the snow together when we can?"

I laugh. "Of course!"

Our pinkies intertwine. His eyes hold mine, the world pausing perfectly around us for the slightest of moments, and it feels like maybe everything will be okay with the prospect of hopeful dreams and playing in the snow.

Jungkook smiles and tilts his head at the tent entrance. "Let's go."

~

It's snowing.

Suga pauses and looks up at the sky in disbelief.

It's finally snowing.

He reaches a hand out into the air, hesitantly, and watches the snowflakes fall on his palm. Instead of melting like they would for anyone else, the snowflakes grow and extend like blooming flowers. Suga brings his hand closer to observe the intricate crystal designs, the symmetrical patterns, and the way the ice reflects the light around him.

He finally feels at home.

It's like how Jin would feel next to a campfire, naturally relaxed, or the way Jungkook would laugh in joy when he's running and the wind blows through his hair. Suga is now surrounded by ice and snow.

He lifts his head to gaze at the endless land in front of him.

He exhales, nervous, yet full of anticipation, as his eyes focus on all the snowflakes in the air in front of him and he pulls.

"Show me."

The snowflakes slow in their fall, for the briefest of moments, before they shift. And Suga feels the snow tug back, pointing him in a direction to the right of where he'd been walking all this time.

For the first time in days, he smiles.

~

"There are too many gaps in our knowledge. So, instead of a surefire plan, we need a clearer scope of the situation first. And then we can try to kidnap Yoongi and Jimin."

Protected from the falling snow by pine trees above us, content after breakfast, we nod at the beginning of Namjoon's presentation.

"We've got no idea what's happening to Suga nor Jimin, and the longer we wait the worse this all gets. We can't wait around anymore, we need to get moving and search for clues - things that maybe they've left behind. Where is the best chance of finding those clues?"

"... in places where we know they've been?" Taehyung tries.

"Exactly," Namjoon nods. "The most recent spot is the parking lot so we'll head back there first. If we find nothing, then we switch gears and move to Plan B which I'll tell you after. Now, if we come in contact with some enemies while we're there -"

I tilt my head.

Nothing looks out of place but I can feel the air somewhere shifting, morphing somehow, unnaturally... and I don't know why.

Something isn't right.

Jimin?

I look around at the others but they don't seem to notice anything wrong. I shake my head and continue listening. Must've been my imagination.

" - and if we're separated, try to group yourselves by power. Y/n and Jungkook, great job sticking together back in the parking lot. Physical touch actually makes you stronger if you've got the same element."

That makes me think of the earth soldiers lining up to form those giant spheres of earth, and how I felt more confident when I stood back to back with Jungkook.

"Jin and I will be a group because electricity can spark fires. J-Hope, I know you usually get paired with Yoongi but you'll be with Taehyung this time, yeah? It works out since Jimin isn't here."

J-Hope nods. Taehyung seems a little downcast but he nods as well.

"Great. Now let's go over our goals. First priority is to keep Y/n and ourselves safe. There's no point in going there if we lose another one of us. Our second priority is to get Yoongi, and then Jimin. To do this -"

"Wait, wait wait wait." I raise my hand.

"Y/n?"

"Suga was captured." There's another tug of something in the air but I ignore it to get my point across. "So wouldn't Suga be under their careful watch? That means we should focus on Jimin first, right? Since he's out and about..."

All of our heads turn to Namjoon.

But instead of being caught off guard, he answers immediately. "I actually think Yoongi's easier to reach."

I shift. "... how?"

"Did Jimin bring him up when he tried to get you?"

"No?"

"Then he's not being watched as closely as Jimin is," Namjoon says with confidence. "Since Yoongi wasn't brought up, that means they don't have enough hold on him to use him as leverage. Jimin would've used him specifically to guilt-trip you if he could. Instead he attacked us as a group."

"That's clever," J-Hope remarks.

After a few more comments, Namjoon continues with his plan. It dawns on me just how thoroughly Namjoon has already worked through this. How to get to the parking lot, what to bring, where to go if we don't find anything or get separated...

There it is again.

It feels far off, like a small dot in the distance, but something is getting unmistakably distorted. I can't pinpoint where.

This time Jungkook is looking around too.

"Do you know what that is?" I whisper.

"It's almost familiar," he frowns, "but I have no idea."

I keep prodding, reaching out around us and expanding the search. I feel Jungkook doing the same.

The air somewhere is definitely warping. But at the same time, it's comforting and familiar like Jungkook says. I feel its pattern - cold, reserved, precise - not in the air exactly, but within the snowflakes themselves...

"If we happen to find either of them," Namjoon continues, "Jin and I will head in as offense and do the actual kidnapping. Y/n and Jungkook, you'll be defending us because wind is best for creating distance. And then J-Hope and Taehyung will distract. J-Hope, try to make something really interesting to look at with your light illusions."

J-Hope nods enthusiastically. "I'll think of something."

"Great. Now, remember our priorities. First is to protect ourselves, especially Y/n. Second priority is get in, kidnap Yoongi and Jimin, then get out. So we'll set off later today or tomorrow -"

"Kidnap me? I'm flattered."

The new voice startles me at first, but then I recognize it.

The familiarity.

I share a wide-eyed look with Jungkook, who raises his eyebrows. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

"Suga," I breathe. Unbelievable.

And I know I'm right when the goofiest smile appears on Jungkook's face.

"YOONGI?!" J-Hope jumps up from his spot and runs past me without further thought, screaming all the way.

"J-HOOOOPPPPPPPEEEEE!"

I turn to face him.

Standing in his black jacket and sweatpants, a light layer of crystal white snowflakes dotting his hair, helplessly squished in J-Hope's big hug, is Suga.

The newcomer we've all missed and never stopped thinking about.

Namjoon joins, then Jin and Taehyung too, and Jungkook and I run to them as well to join the big group hug and just like that we're somehow jumping up and down together, an inseparable bubble of laughter and joy and J-Hope's screaming, and it feels so great to see him again.

"You're okay!"

"How did you find us?"

"I can't believe you're back!" J-Hope exclaims. "Where have you been?"

"I've been around," Suga answers us vaguely, preoccupied as he looks at everyone in concern. His gaze lands on me. "Has Jimin gotten to you guys?"

"He has but we're okay," I answer. "Why?"

Suga sighs in relief, and the familiar gummy smile is finally back. "I heard him talking to the Commander after you guys left, and guess what -"

"Alright, hold on you people." Jin puts both hands on Suga's shoulders and guides him toward our little campsite. "I'm going to make sure you're warm and well fed before you stand out here any longer."

"I'm not that cold," Suga mumbles. But there's a faint smile of gratitude nonetheless.

We travel back to the campfire as a group, morning silence replaced by merry chatter. Taehyung grabs a coat for Yoongi, Namjoon moves away to set up another tent, and J-Hope doesn't stop making sound effects as he runs around in utter happiness.

"Don't feel rushed or anything," Jin says as he grabs a can of soup. "The only one left now is Jimin and they won't hurt him for no reason, so we've got time."

"Good," Suga nods. "I've got lots to tell you."