{acknowledgment}

"Yoongi I-" Jimin paused as his lips gaped open, moving but not producing any words. With wide eyes he turned to the blue haired male in front of him, realising that it wasn't only himself that was shocked, but Yoongi too. Biting down on his lower lip, Jimin cast his gaze to the floor, "Let me think." he breathed, causing Yoongi's shoulders to drop, "just let me think." he finished, turning on his heels as he stepped over the broken glass, making his way back to the trolly he'd left in the furthest isle. 

Jimin wasn't unsure, in fact, the younger knew for certain that over the past few weeks he'd developed feelings for Min Yoongi. The problem was he was scared, scared of loosing focus at a time like this. They were all still in grave danger, still on the run from both infected and camps alike. Jimin was also emotionally drained, loosing his best friend Daisy and watching how low Hoseok had sunk made him question whether or not building a relationship was a dangerous thing. 

From afar, Yoongi watched as the blonde haired male trudged back over to the end of the store, not a single word spoken about his injuries or the infected they'd just faced. The mood had plummeted. 

"Hoseok?" Yoongi called, distracting himself from the conversation he'd just taken part in as he searched for his missing comrade. 

A small creak was heard as Hoseok stepped out from a wooden cupboard, checking left and right until he was certain the coast was clear. The orange haired male let out a sigh of relief, loosening his tense stance as he caught Yoongi's eye, "Thank god you're okay." he spoke, stumbling towards the blue haired male, "is Jimin safe too?" Hoseok paused when he noticed Yoongi freeze up, lips parting before he returned to his usual bored expression. 

"He's alright..." he explained, before shaking his head, "but his hands are kinda busted up." Yoongi spoke, recalling how glass had wedged itself painfully into the blonde's palms, "We should be quick and head back," he paused as he ran a hand through his hair, "Jimin needs stitches."

Frowning, Hoseok gave a nod of approval, "Alright, lets meet back at the car in no more then ten minutes." the navigator spoke, adjusting his quiver still strapped over his shoulder, "We don't want Jimin's condition to deteriorate."

-----

The ride back to the cottage was silent, no words were shared between the three males. Hoseok almost opened his mouth to question why Jimin had decided to sit up front instead of in the back alongside Yoongi, but was quick to zip his lips after he earnt a sharp glare from Yoongi in the revision mirror. 

Pulling up to the front deck of the house, Hoseok wrapped a hand around the gear stick, switching the car into park and shutting off the engine. "We're back." he sounded lowly, usual sunny mood disrupted by the gloomy silence shared between both Yoongi and Jimin as they simultaneously hopped out of the car. Rolling his eyes, Hoseok took the keys out from the ignition, stepping out of the car before slamming the door shut. 

Footsteps sounded heavily against the wooden deck as a familiar male came into view. Hoseok smiled, "Hey Tae." he chirped, walking around to the boot of the car as he opened it up to reveal the supplies they'd gathered. 

Stumbling down the stairs of the front porch, Taehyung made his way to Hoseok's side, leaning a hand against the car as he peered inside the boot. His eyes lit up with the array of food they'd managed to collect, all boxed up in cardboard boxes they had found inside the storage cupboard of the supermarket. "Woah," Taehyung sounded, "you guys did a good job." 

Hoseok chuckled, "We ran into a bit of trouble," he placed his hands underneath a box, grunting as he picked it up and held it to his chest, "but it was nothing we couldn't handle on our own." he winked, the golden rays of the setting sun falling softly over his tanned skin, fiery orange locks looking all the more ethereal as he organised the supplies. 

Taehyung nod before pausing. Raising a brow, he turned his attention back to the cottage, realising Jimin was stumbling wordlessly inside, "what's up with him?" he asked, earning a sigh from the orange haired male beside him. 

"He got glass wedged in his hands." Hoseok explained, handing Taehyung a box to carry, "I don't think he'll be able to fight for a while, it looked pretty bad." he grimaced.

Taehyung gave a small nod, "I'll have Vee check it out," he explained, lowering his arms as he allowed Hoseok to stack another box on top of the one he was already carrying, "she's proving to be quite useful in the makeshift lab." he cooed. 

Hoseok frowned, "Do you know much about her?"

Taehyung tapped a finger against the side of the box he was carrying, "No, only some brief info about what happened after day zero." Taehyung bit down on his lip, "come to think of it, there are still a lot of things I don't know."

"...like?" Hoseok piped up, stepping closer towards the brunette.

Taehyung furrowed his brows, "Like how she was skilled enough to create a vaccine that blocks the virus for a month-"

"- and why the food in the supermarket was untouched." Hoseok cut in, causing Taehyung to freeze in place.

"Hang on..." Taehyung breathed, eyes widening in surprise, "the food was untouched?"

Hoseok gave a nod of confirmation, "I was working the early morning of day zero... I remember stocking up the shelves about half an hour before I head down to the cafe to have breakfast with Joon." he began to explain, "everything was still there from day zero... so where has she been getting her food? If she really did grow up in this area, she'd know that the supermarket would be packed full of goods." he finished. The two males began to walk side by side back towards the cottage, combat boots landing heavily against the wooden stairs as they climbed up to the porch. 

Taehyung's eyes narrowed in suspicion, gaze falling to the side as he sunk into thought, "come to think of it... the lab was untouched as well." he spoke up. 

Hoseok's eyes went wide under his lengthy bangs as his palms began to sweat. He gulped as he turned his gaze to the male walking beside him, "Didn't Vee say she used... used the lab for years?" he stuttered, pausing in his tracks, "She said she used it for shelter and experimentation."

Frosted air forced its way into Taehyung's lungs and stung at his eyes as his skin went ashen, "She couldn't have..." he murmured, "everything was still in place, dusty and old. The entrance was unopened and covered in plant life... so there's no way..."

In front of the entrance to the cottage, Hoseok and Taehyung both turned to each other. Their shallow breathing and beating hearts only further confirmed their suspicions... 

That Vee was lying. 

There was no way Vee could've survived with a small group for four years in this small country town without leaving a single trace. Something wasn't quite right, and Hoseok and Taehyung both knew it. 

Letting out a breath of warm air, Hoseok shook his bangs from his eyes, "Lets just keep an eye out." he explained, "she could genuinely be a good person, but we can't take our chances."

Swallowing his fear, Taehyung approved, "I agree, lets just be careful from here on out." he spoke, adjusting his tight hold on the supply boxes in his hands as he turned back to the front door. Carefully lifting his leg, Taehyung used his foot to give a knock against the door. 

There was a moment of silence before the door handle began to jitter, revealing a fluffy haired male. Jungkook smiled, "Good job," he stepped aside gesturing for the two males to head inside, "You made it right before sunset."

Taehyung returned the smile, "We've got plenty of food now," he grinned, stepping inside the door, "which means we won't have to take any trips for a while."

Following closely behind, Hoseok let out a sigh as he stepped into the warmth of the cottage. As the door shut behind him, Hoseok hadn't realised how numb he'd become to the cold outside until he let himself relax in the warmer environment inside. 

"Let me take those for you." a female voice piped up. Peering down over the boxes in his hands, Hoseok smiled when his gaze fell over a familiar blonde haired female. With slender arms, Tessa took a box off of Hoseok's hands, cocking her head in the direction of the kitchen, "I'm gonna pack everything away, you guys should all warm up," she crinkled up her nose with a giggle, "your lips are practically purple."

Lifting a hand, Hoseok ran a finger along his lower lip, flinching a little as he realised just how cold his touch was. "You're right," he chuckled, "I'm frozen." 

Waving Tessa off from the kitchen, Hoseok shuffled into the living room. The newly made fire crackled and popped, each scarlet flame radiating heat. Hoseok couldn't help but smirk at the pair laying snuggly against the couch.

Jungkook drew the snug quilt further around Taehyung and himself. It was the perfect day to curl up and draw each other close. The frigid cold couldn't penetrate the barrier of wool and fabric. Taehyung rested his head peacefully against Jungkook's shoulder, proving just how tired he'd become after days of constant experiments. It was a good thing Jungkook and Taehyung were able to have moments outside the makeshift lab. 

The air was rather dusty, making Hoseok's nose itch. He inhaled sharply before letting out a sneeze. Jungkook snapped his head in Hoseok's direction, gesturing for him to be silent as he allowed for Taehyung to continue sleeping. The fireplace was blazing and crackling, warming Hoseok's skin as he silently made his way to the opposite lounge, laying himself down as his eyes fell over the flames. And for the first time in weeks, 

Hoseok peacefully fell asleep.

-----------------

{Author Note}

Things are about to get goooood!

In other news... I got my tattoo! It's so perfect... I'll show you guys a pic in the next chapter release of my book, 'Elements of Reality,' only because my tattoo fits really well with the theme of that book ;)

(unedited)