btsnz @btsnz - Tumblr Blog

May 22

¡Buen Viaje! [commission]

Title: ¡Buen Viaje!

Word Count: 15,000

Summary: The group is traveling in Argentina’s northern Patagonia region filming a winter season of Bon Voyage. One by one, they all succumb to the same cold. At first, they continue to do all of their planned activities despite feeling unwell, but they end up cancelling everything at the end of their trip so they can relax and recover in their cozy cabin.

A/N: Commission fic (3/3) for mi amigaaa <3

A/N 2: This was originally going to be posted in December so just imagine the winter vibes 😁

A/N 3: Taehyung is learning and speaking Spanish (Argentine) in this fic; errors in grammar/vocabulary are intentional.

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/85315731

Living with six other people means that certain spaces get naturally divided up; preferred spots on the sofa are claimed, bathroom drawers allocated equally, and everyone has a designated seat at the dining room table.

Currently, Jimin is sitting in Yoongi’s chair at the table instead of his own. It doesn’t feel right, but it’s the only seat that gives him the perfect view of the front door– or more accurately, the pile of suitcases next to the front door.

They’re set to leave for South America in the very early hours of the next morning, so Jimin is keeping track of whose suitcases have made it to the door already and whose they’re still waiting on. The reason he’s doing it isn’t because he’s in charge of them, but because he has an ongoing bet with Taehyung on who will be the last to bring their suitcase out.

Jimin has, in his opinion, a pretty safe pick for the bet. After living with all of the members for as long as he has, he has a good read on how everyone prepares for a trip. Jungkook, for example, is a huge procrastinator when it comes to packing, so Jungkook was his immediate choice for their bet. Taehyung, on the other hand, had seemingly randomly picked Namjoon, which had made Jimin cackle until he realized Taehyung was completely serious; by that point, Taehyung had already started pouting and didn’t talk to Jimin for the next two hours after that.

Even though he and Taehyung easily made up, Jimin is certain he’s going to win. Jungkook is a procrastinator through and through. Jimin knows he can count on that. And, Jimin also knows it’s their fault Jungkook is like this– them being the group and the staff– because Jungkook’s never had any actual, real pressure to pack fully for himself within a certain timeframe.

Jimin is certainly not looking to change that.

What Jimin will inevitably do, however, is end up helping the maknae of the group pack when they’ve only got a few hours left before they have to leave for the airport. He’ll happily remind Jungkook of what to bring, and just as happily lend him anything he forgets on their trip. All of the members enable Jungkook, but Jimin especially loves enabling their precious maknae.

And also, he wins the bet if Jungkook is the last to bring his suitcase to the front door.

Really, it’s a win-win, for both himself and for Jungkook. And a loss for Taehyung, but Jimin’s been dealing with Taehyung-losses for a decade now and is well versed in the art of consoling his sweet, loser soulmate.

Jimin doesn’t expect Jungkook’s procrastination to get to this point, however.

He’s been sitting at the dining room table– in Yoongi’s chair– for quite some time when he realizes he hasn’t even seen Jungkook in several hours.

Jungkook had barely made an appearance at dinner earlier, looking sleepy and completely swamped in a hoodie three sizes too big. Since then, he’s been hiding away in his room, and Jimin hasn’t dared moving from his lookout spot to check in on him.

After Seokjin wheels his suitcase out, Jimin realizes there’s only one suitcase missing. With a happy little wiggle, he stands from his chair and practically skips down the hall toward Jungkook’s room.

“Jungkookie?” Jimin knocks on the door, then twists the doorknob when there’s no answer.

To his surprise, the room is dark inside. A second later, he sees why– Jungkook is in bed, sound asleep. Furthermore, there’s no suitcase in sight.

“Kookie,” Jimin whispers, gently shaking Jungkook by the shoulder. “Kookie? Wake up.”

It takes a moment before the motion wakes Jungkook. As soon as his eyes flutter open, he starts coughing, stuttering little expulsions that make Jimin jerk back in surprise.

“Whoa,” he murmurs, looking on Jungkook’s nightstand for water. He grabs the water bottle there and holds it out, his free hand carding through Jungkook’s hair. “Hey, drink some water.”

Jungkook sits up just enough to sip from the bottle, then flops back down. Jimin turns the lamp next to his bed on and sits on the edge of his bed, resuming carding his fingers through Jungkook’s hair until Jungkook sniffles and opens both eyes fully.

Jimin has to fight the urge to coo at his adorably sleepy expression. “Sorry,” he apologizes. “But we’re leaving for the airport in like six hours, and you need to pack for the trip still. You can go right back to sleep after, I promise.”

Jungkook coughs again and clears his throat afterward. His voice is raspy when he says, “I think I’m kinda sick.”

Jimin’s eyes widen in alarm. “What? What do you mean, kinda sick?!”

Jungkook rubs his face with both hands before looking back up at Jimin. “Like a cold or something,” he shrugs, his voice hoarse.

“Oh no,” Jimin gasps. He pulls his phone from his pocket and taps out a frantic text, which results in Taehyung appearing in the doorway less than a minute later.

“What’s the emergency?” Taehyung asks, looking back and forth between Jimin and Jungkook.

“Go tell Namjoonie-hyung that Jungkook is getting a cold,” Jimin instructs, panic seeping into his voice.

Taehyung’s eyebrows shoot up. He obeys instantly, running out of the room to go tell their leader the news.

“It’s just a scratchy throat, hyung,” Jungkook mumbles. “I’m fine. But, I didn’t pack my suitcase yet.”

Jimin is already pulling out Jungkook’s suitcase from the closet. “Hyung will pack for you.”

Sitting up in the middle of his bed and wrapping his entire comforter around his shoulders, Jungkook sniffles and nods. “Okay.”

A moment later, Taehyung returns, but he has Yoongi with him instead of Namjoon.

“Hey,” Yoongi greets them, coming into the room with his hands on his hips. “What’s going on?”

“Jungkook is sick, hyung,” Taehyung blurts out. “Sick! We’re supposed to start filming tomorrow!”

Yoongi’s brow furrows. “Well. That’s…hmm. Jungkookie, you’re sick? What’s going on?” He walks over to Jungkook and feels his forehead with the back of his hand.

“I think I’m getting a cold,” Jungkook mumbles, rubbing his nose. “It’s just a scratchy throat, really.”

Sighing, Yoongi brushes his fingers against Jungkook’s cheek, his expression contemplative. “I guess I’ll go get you some medicine. Why aren’t you all sleeping right now?”

“I was,” Jungkook replies with a pout. “But I forgot to pack my suitcase, so Jimin-hyung is helping me.”

Yoongi holds a hand out toward Taehyung. “Come on, Tae. I’m going to get Jungkook some medicine. Will you text the group chat to let everyone know Jungkook has a cold? No need to wake anyone else up, they can read it in the morning. And then go right to sleep, okay?”

Taehyung nods and clings to Yoongi’s hand, letting him pull him out of the room.

While they wait for Yoongi to return with medicine, Jimin continues packing. He carefully folds shirts and makes room for all of the pairs of shoes Jungkook wants to bring. Jungkook, for the most part, is quiet, nodding his head when asked questions and pointing in the direction of his closet while he sniffles into a tissue.

The medicine Yoongi gives Jungkook makes him sleepy– or maybe, it’s Yoongi’s soft command for him to go to bed soon– and he eventually lies down on his side, hands tucked under his cheeks as he struggles to keep his eyes open.

The rest of the house is dark and quiet by the time Jimin is done packing Jungkook’s suitcase. Everyone else is asleep– including Jungkook, who had started to drift off while Jimin packed toiletries. Jimin maneuvers him into a more comfortable position and tucks him in, leaning down to press a kiss to the maknae’s forehead with a fond smile.

Jimin lugs Jungkook’s bags to the front door, moving quietly through the living room. He lines Jungkook’s suitcase up next to the others and sets his carry-on on top of it, and then starts counting bags.

One, two, three, four, five, six…

For some reason, there’s only six suitcases and six carry-ons by the front door. Jimin counts, then double checks, and then goes through them one by one. Namjoon-hyung, check. Jin-hyung, check. Yoongi-hyung, check. Hobi-hyung, check. TaeTae, check. Jungkookie, check.

It takes entirely too long for Jimin to process the information sitting right in front of him.

There’s only one suitcase missing, and it’s– his?

Somehow, he had completely forgotten to bring his own suitcase out.

Jimin runs to his room faster than he’s ever ran in his life. His bare feet thump loudly against the floor but he doesn’t care that it might wake someone up– not when he’s in a hurry.

His suitcase is sitting right at the foot of his bed where he’d left it earlier. He grabs it and wheels it out through the living room, being slightly more mindful of making noise. He then rearranges the suitcases– shoving Seokjin’s aside so he can slot his in next to Hoseok’s where it would have been– and makes sure Jungkook’s suitcase is obviously last, sticking out at the end of the row.

When he’s done, he steps back, counting one final time. Seven suitcases and seven carry-ons. Jimin sighs, suddenly drained of all energy, and uses his sleeve to dab at the sweat on his brow as he quietly shuffles back through the dark living room so he can get a few hours of sleep.

Taehyung will be none the wiser.

The trip from Korea to Argentina is very, very, very long. Jimin doesn’t even know what day it is by the time they arrive in Buenos Aires, where they board their last flight headed south to their final destination. He’s almost certain it’s been over twenty-four hours since they left their dorm in Seoul.

By the time they finally step foot out of the airport, it’s dark outside and snow is falling. There’s a rush to get to the van waiting for them, and they all huddle together in the seats, faces stinging from the transition to the warmth inside.

“Is this the only coat you brought?” Seokjin asks Jungkook, tugging on the maknae’s hood. “We need to buy you something warmer.”

Hoseok perks up from the back seat. “Let’s go shopping!”

“It’s 3 a.m. local time, Hoseok-ssi,” their manager says from the driver’s seat. “We’ll head to the hotel now.”

“It’s 3 p.m. at home then,” Yoongi says around a yawn, eyes closed like he’s ready to fall asleep at any moment.

Taehyung, who has taken up learning Spanish in the few weeks before the trip, reads road signs out loud as they pass by and attempts to translate. “La-go Na-hu-el Hu-a-pi– that’s a lake. Pla-ya Bo-ni-ta– that’s a…beach? Ho-tel Fla-min-go– that’s a hotel.”

“Look at that tree!” Hoseok points out, pressing his face against the window. “All of those trees have yarn wrapped around them.”

“Aw, they’re wearing scarves,” Jimin chuckles. “Cute.”

“Cute,” Jungkook echoes, before coughing roughly beneath his face mask.

“You need a scarf too,” Seokjin tells him, patting his back. “And a hat, and a warmer jacket, and some mittens…”

Namjoon, in the middle of a conversation about tomorrow’s plans with their manager in the front seat, turns around to check on Jungkook when he sneezes loudly. “Bless you, Kook. Feeling okay back there?”

Jungkook nods and dodges Seokjin’s attempt to zip up his coat for him. “M’fine, hyungs.”

“A cold can’t bring our Jungkookie down,” Hoseok quips from the back, reaching up to ruffle Jungkook’s hair, and Jungkook nods vehemently in agreement.

The hotel is a quaint, quiet little place. They pile out of the van and shuffle into the lobby, flopping tiredly onto couches while Namjoon, Taehyung, and their manager check them all in at the front desk.

“¡Muchas gracias!” Taehyung’s voice rings out, a bit too loud for the middle of the night, but no one has the heart nor the energy to scold him.

“Everyone get some sleep,” Namjoon says, handing out room keys. “We’ll check out the town square and do some shopping and sightseeing tomorrow. First thing, bright and early,” he adds.

Jimin stops Jungkook before he goes into his shared room with Namjoon and Hoseok to say goodnight. “Be sure to take some medicine so you can sleep well tonight,” he instructs, hugging the maknae tightly against his chest. “Tae and I will be right next door if you need anything. Good night!”

“Night, hyung,” Jungkook sniffles into Jimin’s shirt, leaning into his warmth for a long minute.

Seokjin and Yoongi have already disappeared into their room across the hall. Jimin gives Jungkook one last squeeze and then releases him, waiting until the hallway is quiet before retreating to his own room to get some much needed sleep.

In the morning, the snow has stopped falling and the sun reflects brightly on the layer left behind the night before. Jimin groans when there’s a knock on the door, opening his eyes to a too-bright glare coming through the crack in the flimsy hotel curtains.

“Nooo,” he whines when the knock comes again, and Namjoon’s voice drifts through the door.

“Breakfast in fifteen minutes!”

Jimin and Taehyung manage to make it down to the lobby in seventeen minutes. They’re the first ones there, after Namjoon, who looks physically exhausted but still bright and alert.

“How’s Jungkook doing today?” Jimin asks him, sitting down on a plush armchair.

“He snored all night long,” Namjoon relays. “Hoseok is…a little grumpy about it this morning.”

“Put him with us tonight,” Taehyung offers, but Namjoon shakes his head immediately.

“We don’t need you two getting sick also.”

Jimin doesn’t bother pointing out that anyone rooming with Jungkook has an equal chance at getting sick, and only just a little more so than the rest of them by spending the day with him.

While they wait for the others, the three of them read brochures about the city and all of the different activities.

“Known for its Swiss alpine-style architecture and chocolate…ooh, there’s skiing! And horseback riding. This looks fun,” Namjoon taps a picture of a pair of kayakers. “Look, there’s hiking, too…and all of these restaurants are right here in town.”

By the time all seven of them have finally convened, Namjoon has ten different brochures spread out in front of him.

“I’m sure we’ll be doing just about all of these things,” Seokjin murmurs, looking over the pictures. “Director-nim always plans well.”

Yoongi, stretching his arms up over his head, glances around at everyone. “What are we doing first? Breakfast, or should we check out the–?”

“Coffee,” Hoseok barks out. “Please. Coffee.”

“Breakfast, please,” Jungkook croaks, rubbing his stomach. He’s congested and sleepy looking, his eyelids drooping after every blink. “I’m hungry.”

“There’s coffee at breakfast,” Jimin says before Hoseok can do more than glare in Jungkook’s direction.

They stop at a café on their walk to breakfast. Hoseok gets the largest sized iced Americano and finishes it before Jungkook is done looking at the pastry case.

“Let’s just grab something to eat here,” Yoongi suggests, since only half of them are actually hungry for breakfast.

Jungkook is in charge of picking out pastries. He points at each one in the case, until he has silently ordered a whole bagful that Yoongi pays for out of their shared daily allowance.

They find benches at a nearby park just down the street. Seokjin hands one pastry to each member and gives the remaining ones to Jungkook, who is already halfway through both a croissant and a cheese danish.

“What is everyone here drinking?” Namjoon wonders, looking around at the locals passing around a rounded cup with a metal straw amongst their groups.

“Mate,” Taehyung explains wisely. “Like tea. But different? The South American ARMYs left it as a suggestion but said to be careful because it’s bitter.”

“I didn’t see it on the menu,” Jimin says, tilting his head. “Everyone shares the same drink?”

“It’s not on the menu,” Taehyung replies. “It’s a cultural thing. You share it with friends or family.”

“Cool,” Hoseok murmurs, his mood finally sweetened after consuming caffeine.

Suddenly, Jungkook sneezes wetly, ducking his head at the last minute to aim it into his sleeve.

“No communal mate for us,” Namjoon laughs, passing Jungkook a napkin. “Bless you.”

Seokjin gathers up all of the garbage and tosses it into a conveniently located trash can on the sidewalk. Loaded up with carbs and coffee and fresh air, they continue on their walk toward the town square.

“¡Bienvenido to the Centro Cívico!” Taehyung exclaims in Spanish as they arrive, spinning in a complete circle with his arms stretched out. “The Civic Center.”

“Wow, this place is so cute,” Namjoon says, looking around the square. “It reminds me of Switzerland.”

“Cute,” Jungkook echoes hoarsely from where he’s practically glued to Namjoon’s side.

Namjoon grins and wraps his arm around Jungkook. Jimin has noticed how much the two of them have been sticking together this morning and is willing to bet Namjoon is feeling a bit extra protective over their maknae.

Souvenir shopping comes next.

“Window shopping for now,” their director tells them. “We’ll give you souvenir money on the last day. You have your remaining allowance for a meal later.”

“I’m going to buy a coat for Jungkook with my own money,” Seokjin decides. “Come on, Jungkookie, follow hyung.”

They split up into groups, planning to meet later on to eat. Namjoon goes with Jungkook and Seokjin, Jimin and Yoongi go to look at shoes, and Hoseok and Taehyung head towards the nearest chocolate shop.

In the afternoon, they gather in front of an Argentine restaurant and show off their personal purchases, which is mostly new clothing. Jungkook doesn’t have a new coat but is sporting a cozy-looking knitted wool earflap beanie.

“Feeling okay?” Jimin asks him, tugging on the sides to pull it farther down over Jungkook's head. “You look so cute.”

“Soooo cute,” Taehyung adds with a grin.

“I’m fine,” Jungkook sniffles, his voice muffled by his mask and thick congestion. “Hungry.”

“You’re always hungry,” Jimin chuckles. “You sound so stuffy.”

“Yeah,” Jungkook confirms.

Inside the restaurant, they’re seated at a large table by the window.

“We have to try a recommendation from ARMYs,” Taehyung declares, scanning the menu before pointing to an entrée. “Milanesa con papas fritas.”

“Okay, and what’s that?”

“Milanesa. It's thinly cut meat, breaded and fried. It comes with fries and you can choose a fried egg on top.”

They take count of who wants eggs and who doesn’t, and Taehyung orders in Spanglish: “Three milanesa, no egg. Four milanesa, yes egg. Seven cervezas, por favor. Gracias.”

“Good job,” Jimin praises him as they wait for their food, patting Taehyung’s back.

“I forgot how to count all of a sudden,” Taehyung blushes, ducking his head to hide his pleased smile.

“Well, you still did great.”

For dessert, Taehyung insists they all try flan with dulce de leche– another ARMY recommendation. To everyone’s surprise, however, Jungkook doesn’t eat a single bite of dessert, too sleepy to lift his head from his arms once he’s eaten half of his milanesa. Taehyung and Jimin split his untouched beer.

“Since we have an active day tomorrow, we’ll head back to the hotel for free time. Please rest a lot,” their director instructs. “The day will start at 7 a.m. tomorrow.”

“I’m gonna sleep until one minute before 7 a.m. tomorrow, then,” Jungkook mumbles into his sleeve. “Joonie-hyung, can you carry me back?”

Luckily, there’s a van for them, and Namjoon is saved from having to carry Jungkook to the hotel, but he does indulge Jungkook in a short piggyback ride from the lobby to their room.

Jimin follows them inside and helps Namjoon tuck Jungkook into bed. He presses a kiss to Jungkook’s forehead, and Jungkook is fast asleep before Jimin even leaves the room, snoring away like a chainsaw.

Jungkook sleeps past 7 a.m. the next morning. In fact, he, Namjoon and Hoseok are all missing from the hotel lobby at 7:15 a.m., which is when everyone else makes it down. Their director is waiting with news; now, Namjoon and Hoseok are both sick too.

“They’re all getting checked out quickly before we leave. Our activity might be a bit vigorous, and we will be outdoors all day.”

“But they’re okay?” Yoongi asks, his expression of concern mirroring Seokjin’s next to him.

Just then, Jungkook, Namjoon and Hoseok step off the elevator. All three of them are wearing masks and bundled up in coats and hats.

“Director-nim says you’re sick?” Jimin says, rushing to their sides.

Namjoon sighs heavily. “Yeah. Hobi and I have sore throats. Caught Jungkookie’s cold, I guess.” He turns to Jungkook and holds up a finger. “Which he does not need to apologize for,” he reminds Jungkook.

“I’m still sorry,” Jungkook whispers sadly under his breath.

Jimin loops an arm around Jungkook’s shoulder. “Aw, Jungkookie. Do you want to choose a breakfast spot this morning?”

Predictably, Jungkook chooses pastries again. They stop at one of the many cafés near their hotel and get coffee and food, taking it to-go so they can head to their destination about an hour away. Though Namjoon and Hoseok only choose to have hot tea for breakfast, they’re both in good spirits as everyone climbs into the van, squeezing in on either side of Jungkook and watching fondly as he eats a sugar-glazed croissant with gusto.

“Aigo,” Hoseok coos hoarsely, reaching over to pinch Jungkook’s cheek between his fingers. “Did you get enough to eat?”

Jungkook nods, cheeks stuffed. “Mm-hmm.”

“Good.” Hoseok laughs and wipes a crumb from the corner of Jungkook’s mouth. “Not even a cold can ruin our Kookie’s appetite.”

“What are we going to be doing today that’s outdoors?” Jimin wonders, peering out the van window.

“And it’s something vigorous,” Taehyung adds. “Mountain climbing? Kayaking? Horseback riding? Ziplining?”

“Judging by Director-nim’s expression, one of those things is right,” Yoongi chuckles, peering up at their director in the passenger seat.

Shortly after he finishes his breakfast, Jungkook falls asleep with his head resting on Namjoon’s shoulder. When they arrive, he’s slow to wake, grumbling and sniffling until Taehyung hoists him out of the van by his underarms.

“Wake up,” Taehyung sings, poking Jungkook’s tummy. “Time to be active!”

Despite feeling sleepy, Jungkook is thrilled about their activity for the day.

“I love kayaking!” He exclaims, stifling a yawn against the palm of his hand.

“You’ve never even been kayaking before,” Seokjin snorts, looping an arm around Jungkook’s shoulder.

Jungkook sniffs indignantly. And then sniffs again, pulling a tissue from his pocket. “I still love it.”

They’re given quick kayaking lessons, safety instructions, and water shoes to change into. Jungkook volunteers to go solo, while the others pair up: Jimin with Namjoon, Yoongi with Hoseok, and Seokjin with Taehyung. As they climb into their kayaks, Jungkook’s tips so far to one side that both Namjoon and Jimin yell out in alarm, leaning until their own kayak almost tips over.

“Don’t fall in!” Jimin shouts at Jungkook, waving his paddle around. “You can’t get wet when you’re sick, Jungkookie!”

Jungkook, having recovered from his near mishap quickly, giggles at Jimin’s frantic motions. Something in his expression says he wouldn’t mind falling into the water. He starts to paddle until he catches up to the guide, looking over his shoulder to watch the other six struggle to get moving with a huge grin on his face.

The lake before them is expansive and surrounded by snow-covered mountains, the sky dotted with white clouds above blue-green water.

“Lago Moreno,” Taehyung shouts, holding his paddle up above his head. “¡Muy bonita!”

“Keep going, Tae!” Seokjin shouts back, leaning forward to poke the back of Taehyung’s neck. “Let’s get ahead of Jungkook.”

The next hour is a blur of laughter and splashing water and stunning sights; Seokjin and Taehyung race Jungkook– who, despite paddling alone and being sick, pulls ahead of them easily. Yoongi and Hoseok lag much farther behind the others, slow but steady. Jimin spends most of his time looking around at the mountains instead of paddling, pointing out scenery and wildlife, while Namjoon does all the work for both of them.

At some point, Jimin sees Namjoon shiver and leans forward to wrap his arms around him from behind. “Are you cold, hyung?”

Namjoon stops paddling for a moment, looking back over his shoulder. “I’m okay, Jiminie. This is really a workout, huh?”

Picking up his paddle quickly, Jimin nods. “Yes! Very tiring. My arms are going to be so sore tomorrow.”

“He’s not even paddling,” Yoongi tattles as he and Hoseok pull up alongside them.

“Are you guys cold, too?” Hoseok asks, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

“Namjoon-hyung is,” Jimin replies. He turns to Yoongi. “Hyung, we should give them our scarves, since they’re sick.”

Yoongi nods, and he and Jimin take their scarves off, wrapping them around Hoseok and Namjoon’s necks, respectively. Jimin pulls Namjoon’s hat further down over his ears for good measure, while Yoongi leans forward until he can reach Hoseok’s arms, rubbing up and down to create friction.

“Should we turn back?” Yoongi asks Hoseok quietly, after Namjoon and Jimin have started paddling again.

Hoseok hesitates, sniffling. “We’re almost to the halfway point…” He sneezes once, muffling it into the crook of his arm.

“Exactly,” Yoongi replies. “Might as well turn around now and get a head start. We’re the slowest ones anyway, they’ll catch up in no time.”

With another sneeze and a series of sniffles, Hoseok nods in agreement. “Okay. Let’s turn back now.”

It doesn’t take long for the others to reach the halfway point and start heading back. They catch up to Yoongi and Hoseok quickly, with Jungkook perpetually in the lead.

“My arms are going to fall off,” Yoongi groans, but he keeps paddling, encouraged by Jungkook’s joyful laughter up ahead after passing them.

When they finally make it back to the shore, all of them are tired and pink-cheeked, caught between the sweaty warmth of exertion and sniffling against runny noses brought on by the cold air. Fortunately, even with a near-slip when Hoseok is stepping out of his kayak, no one ends up falling into the water.

“I’m so hungry,” Jungkook complains, patting his stomach. “Is there a Korean restaurant around here?”

“I could go for something spicy,” Jimin agrees. “Everything here is…whatever the opposite of spicy is.”

“No picante, por favor,” Taehyung pouts. “I want to try more Argentine food.”

Jungkook pouts right back. “I need to clear my sinuses out. I’m soooo stuffed up.”

Taehyung crosses his arms, but concedes. “Fine. For Jungkook’s sinuses, we can get mucho picante. But someone else gets to choose tomorrow.”

“I have the opposite problem,” Hoseok sniffles. “I really need a tissue.”

“We have tissues in the van,” Jungkook tells him. “I’ll run ahead and get you some.”

Back at the van, their manager is waiting with paper cups of hot chocolate, blankets, and the promised tissues. The members pile into the seats, slumping tiredly against each other as they chat about their kayaking excursion.

It takes a while for them to find a Korean restaurant nearby, but eventually they’re navigating to town in search of it. Completely spent of all his energy, Jungkook falls asleep again, this time with his head leaning against the window.

“I haven’t had a workout like that in a long time,” Hoseok sighs hoarsely from the back seat before sneezing twice into his wad of tissues.

Jimin nods. “It was a lot of fun. It’s so pretty out there.”

“Muy divertido,” Taehyung agrees, grinning as he looks around at everyone. “Very fun.”

Seokjin-hyung is sick, Yoongi texts the group chat early the next morning. Who has the medicine?

Taehyungie is sick too. medicine is with Jungkook, Jimin reports two minutes later.

Everyone gathers in Namjoon, Hoseok and Jungkook’s room shortly after that. With five of them sick now, staff arranges a short visit with the medical team to ensure that everyone is cleared to keep filming and continue on with their vacation.

“Poor TaeTae,” Jimin says, combing his fingers through Taehyung’s hair while he gets his temperature checked.

Taehyung nuzzles into the touch with a sleepy hum. “Don’t worry too much,” he murmurs, clearing his throat softly. “I just hope you and Yoongi-hyung don’t catch it, too.”

“We won’t.”

Jimin can tell the staff are worried about everyone, but after each member insists that they want to keep going, they decide to take the rest of the trip day by day instead of canceling activities ahead of time.

Today, they take another van ride two hours south, to the bottom of a large mountain covered in green trees. The ride is long and filled with coughs and sniffles, and Taehyung practices Spanish out loud until his voice starts cracking and Jimin makes him stop and drink water instead.

“Okay,” Namjoon says once they’ve all gathered in a circle in the parking lot of their destination. “Let’s play rock, paper, scissors to choose teams.”

They play, and end up with three teams: Seokjin and Hoseok are together, Namjoon and Taehyung next, and finally, Jungkook, Jimin and Yoongi.

Their director hands them money and explains the rules. “Each group gets $1.000 pesos per person. You can spend it at the tea house at the top of the hill. It is a thirty minute hike up, but it is very steep,” he warns them. “There is also a chairlift. It’s free to ride it down, but to ride it up the mountain you have to pay.”

Taehyung checks out the sign for the chairlift. “Aerosilla,” he reads, his voice thick with congestion. “Looks kinda…high up, doesn’t it?”

Jimin laughs and wraps an arm around his shoulders. “Does that mean you’re hiking, then?”

Jungkook is the first to decide, “I think we should hike up!”

Jimin nods in agreement, but Yoongi doesn’t look as sure.

The other teams come to a consensus quickly, with Seokjin and Hoseok choosing to ride the chairlift and Namjoon and Taehyung choosing to hike.

“You sure you’ll be okay to hike, Tae?” Seokjin asks, handing Taehyung a tissue before taking one for himself. “Hoseok and I are taking the easy way up if you want to switch teams.”

“I’ll be okay!” Taehyung insists, coughing as soon as he speaks, but he’s grinning wide.

Yoongi shuffles over, eyes on the ground. Before he can say anything, Seokjin and Hoseok exchange a look.

“Actually,” Seokjin says, “Yoongi is going to switch teams. He’s carrying our medicine for us.”

“And our tissues,” Hoseok adds, reaching over to stuff a pack of tissues into Yoongi’s pocket.

Yoongi crosses his arms. “I can hike,” he insists, but it’s obvious he’d be more than happy not to.

“It’s okay, hyung,” Jungkook says sweetly. “You can switch teams if you need to. Jimin-hyung and I will get going now. See you at the top!”

“He seems a little too eager to be rid of me,” Yoongi snorts, but he’s smiling as he watches Jimin and Jungkook start up the steep hill without him.

Seokjin, Yoongi and Hoseok head for the chairlift. Namjoon and Taehyung follow after Jimin and Jungkook, going at a much more reasonable pace. Taehyung stops frequently to take photos of the sights and Namjoon, who has been pretty tired all morning, is grateful for the breaks.

“It’s so pretty here,” he comments, posing briefly in front of a tree for Taehyung. “Don’t post that picture, I probably look terrible.”

Taehyung stands next to him, pressing his cheek to Namjoon’s so he can snap a quick selca of the both of them. “Impossible, hyung. You look so cute in that hat.” He shows the selca to Namjoon. “See?”

Namjoon laughs as they continue up the path. “I’m out of breath and my face is puffy and red. That’s not cute.”

Panting loudly through his mouth, Taehyung nods. “Actually, I’m out of breath, too. Should we take a break soon?”

There aren’t any benches nearby, and the steep slope makes it hard to stand in one place for too long. Still, they find a wide tree on the edge of the path to lean up against. Taehyung sneezes loudly and the sound echoes throughout the trees, startling birds and an approaching hiker.

“Salud,” the hiker says, giving Namjoon and Taehyung a wide berth as they pass by.

Taehyung beams and wipes his nose with a tissue. “¡Gracias!”

“Kook and Jimin are probably already at the top by now,” Namjoon says when they start walking again. “How much longer do you think it will take us?”

“No idea,” Taehyung chirps, pulling ahead with a renewed burst of energy. “Let’s find out!”

When Jimin and Jungkook reach the summit, they’re rewarded with one of the most breathtaking views they’ve ever seen.

“This is amazing,” Jungkook whispers in awe, his eyes nearly popping out of his head as he looks around at the 360-degree view of the surrounding lakes and the Andes Mountains.

“It’s beautiful,” Jimin whispers back, pressed up against Jungkook’s side. “Wow.”

For several minutes they just look, taking in the sight. They snap a few pictures and then decide to track down the other group.

They go inside the tea house and spot Seokjin, Yoongi and Hoseok at a table in the corner. Yoongi and Hoseok are sipping from teacups while Seokjin is turned away in his seat, his shoulders hunched as he muffles sneezes into a wad of tissues.

“Oh no, hyung,” Jimin coos, sitting down next to Seokjin. “Bless you!”

“He’s been like this for five minutes now,” Yoongi relays. His hand is resting on Seokjin’s back in a silent gesture of comfort.

Jungkook giggles when Seokjin turns around to protest and ends up sneezing again instead.

“Bless you.” Jimin pulls a new pack of tissues that he’d been saving for Jungkook out of his pocket. “Here, blow your nose.”

“Don’t mess with me,” Seokjin whines when Jungkook steals the tissue pack before Seokjin can take them. “I’m sick.”

“I’m just helping,” Jungkook says, squeezing himself onto Seokjin’s chair with him and wrapping an arm around his waist so neither of them falls off. He pulls a tissue out of the stolen pack and dangles it in front of Seokjin’s face, grinning until Jimin gently takes it back and tucks it into Seokjin’s hand.

“Be nice to your hyung, Kookie,” Jimin scolds, covering his mouth with his hand to hide the fact that he’s holding back a laugh.

Jungkook wraps his other arm around Seokjin and nuzzles into the older man’s shoulder. “I’m always nice to hyung,” he says, voice muffled by Seokjin’s coat.

Seokjin immediately tries to wiggle out of Jungkook’s strong grip. “Stop wiping your runny nose on me!”

Across the table, Hoseok watches the two of them bicker with a look that’s half amusement and half disapproval. “Those two are so childish sometimes,” he croaks.

Ten more minutes pass by before Namjoon and Taehyung arrive. By that point, Jimin and Jungkook have gotten themselves tea to drink and there’s an alarmingly tall pile of crumpled tissues in the middle of the table.

“Gross,” Taehyung says when he sees it. He plops himself down in Jimin’s lap and sniffles loudly.

“Did you guys buy food already?” Namjoon asks, settling between Yoongi and Hoseok.

“We didn’t eat anything yet,” Hoseok tells them. “We only had enough for tea.”

“There’s food?” Jungkook asks, perking up from where he’s resting his head on Seokjin’s shoulder. “Jimin-hyung, do we have money for food?”

Jimin laughs and nods his head. “Yeah, we have all of our money still.”

Taehyung sneaks a glance at the production team sitting at the next table over, then leans forward, lowering his voice. “If my team and Jimin’s team pool our money together, we can buy some snacks for all of us to share.”

“And maybe some more tea for hyung?” Jimin adds, watching Seokjin sniffle miserably into a tissue.

“At least he’s stopped sneezing,” Yoongi teases.

Jimin and Taehyung gather up all of the remaining money and buy snacks and more tea for everybody. Jungkook eats his allotted portion of food and then slides into his own chair so he can rest his head on his arms instead, crossing them on top of the table.

“That was the steepest hike I’ve ever done,” Namjoon admits, sipping tea. “I’d love to come back and do it again sometime when I’m at full lung capacity.”

Jimin cards his fingers through Jungkook’s hair, smoothing it back from his forehead until his eyelids grow heavy and his mouth falls open. He coughs once, uncovered, and then turns his head so his face is hidden between his arms. Jimin can tell he’s close to falling asleep, so he keeps up the motion even though his arm is growing tired.

“The view up here is amazing,” Yoongi murmurs softly, staring out the window.

“Yeah. I’m really glad we got to do this.”

Jimin looks out the window too, but then he also looks around the table, feeling grateful he gets to do things like this with his group. Even with five of them sniffling, today has been so much fun. He likes that their trips always feel like actual vacations– maybe, it’s because they’ve had cameras on them for so many years it's easy to ignore them– but mostly, because they get to experience things together.

“I can’t get over how high up we are,” Taehyung says, leaning against Jimin’s side.

“I can’t get over how blue the lakes look,” Yoongi replies.

Seokjin, stuffy but happy, meets Jimin’s eyes across the table. “I’m glad we did this.”

“It’s seriously such an amazing view,” Hoseok gushes.

Namjoon leans back in his chair and checks the time on his phone. “I’m glad we get to ride the chairlift back down.” He laughs. “For the views, of course.”

Before they leave the tea house, their manager gives Namjoon cold medicine to pass out to everyone. Jimin gently wakes Jungkook so he can take his, handing him napkins so he can clean the drool from his chin and wipe his runny nose. They seem to have run out of tissues, but they’re promised more when they get back to the bottom of the hill.

“I’m taking these,” Jungkook mumbles drowsily, gathering up what’s left of the snacks on the table. “Is there water?”

Six hyungs look around to find Jungkook a water bottle, and he’s handed one faster than he expects, brows scrunching in confusion and then lifting in surprise.

The air is surprisingly cold as they step outside, and the slight drop in temperature has them all pulling their hats on and zipping up their coats. Taehyung buries his nose in his scarf with a sniffle while Jungkook sleepily shuffles along, clutching the leftover snacks to his chest like precious cargo. He sips from his water bottle and follows the group to the chairlift.

They’re all quiet on the way down, silently taking in the view that’s somehow even more breathtaking now. At the bottom, they turn and look up the hill, cheeks pink and stretched wide with smiles.

“Adiós, Aerosilla,” Taehyung salutes, looking up at the chairlift. “Gracias for bringing us down safely.”

“Gracias,” Jungkook echoes quietly, and then they start making their way back to the van.

On the walk through the parking lot, they discuss where to eat lunch. Taehyung and Yoongi choose a restaurant together, picking out a quaint-looking local spot nearby.

At the restaurant, they eat beef empanadas, but pass on the long list of red wines since most of them are sick and don’t want to mix their meds with alcohol. Instead, they drink soda and water, and look through their photos while they wait for food to arrive, laughing over Taehyung’s series of twenty or so close-up selcas he’d taken right before he and Namjoon had reached the top of the hill, his tongue sticking out and his red nose nearly pressed up against the camera lens.

As they’re finishing up their empanadas, Jimin looks around the table and quietly assesses everyone’s conditions. Seokjin looks tired and congested, breathing heavily through his mouth and scrunching up his nose often. Yoongi still looks well, and he’s watching Hoseok intently, one hand on his back and one hand pushing a glass towards Hoseok as he coughs into a fist. Namjoon is leaning his face in one hand and scrolling through his phone. His face is flushed and Jimin makes a mental note to check on his temperature when they get back to the hotel later. Same with Taehyung, who’s currently wiping his nose with a tissue and panting through his mouth, his nose just as stuffed up as Seokjin’s and his face just as flushed as Namjoon’s. Jungkook just looks sleepy. He’s always like that when he’s sick, tired and snuggly. Jimin hides a smile behind his hand and watches them all, his heart aching to take them all back to the hotel and tuck them into beds early tonight.

However, they’ll be sleeping somewhere else tonight– a cabin, where they’ll be staying for the second half of the trip. Late in the afternoon, they check out of their hotel and drive to the cabin, which is a little farther away from town. It starts snowing again on the way there, and when they step out of the van they all shiver from the biting cold, their breath visible in the air.

For dinner, they cook together, but they’re all pretty worn out from the day and opt for a simple meal of pasta and steak. Jimin and Yoongi usher the five sickies out of the kitchen once they’re halfway through, instructing them to go drink water and rest until dinner is ready.

The cabin has two rooms with four bunk beds each. After dinner, Seokjin finds a piece of paper so they can play sadaritagi to choose rooms. They end up with Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok and Namjoon in one room, while Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook have the other.

“Maknae room!” Taehyung exclaims, hooking his arms through Jimin’s and Jungkook’s.

“Room Kim Seokjin!” Seokjin chants in response, putting his hand out and waiting expectantly until Yoongi, Hoseok and Namjoon join in.

“Yay,” Yoongi murmurs around a yawn.

“Okay,” Jimin says, clapping his hands together. “Time for bed, everyone. We need to make sure we get plenty of rest tonight.”

There’s a chorus of murmured agreements and a loud sneeze from Taehyung, and then it’s chaos as everyone scrambles to grab their suitcase and get in line for the bathroom.

Jimin lines up cups of water with doses of cold medicine on the counter. He checks the rooms and makes sure everyone has ample tissues, and then carries extra blankets from the linen closet to each bed, spreading them out so everyone will stay warm enough. One by one, he guides the members to take their medicine and drink water once they’ve washed up and changed into their pajamas, and then checks their temperatures with the thermometer left for them by the medical team.

Namjoon’s temperature is a bit elevated, but not officially a fever. Still, Jimin is immediately worried, but Namjoon sees his expression and holds up a hand before he can speak.

“Quit that,” he says, part-embarrassed by the way Jimin is trying to fuss over that. “I’ll let Director-nim know. Did everyone else pass the temperature check?”

When Jimin nods, Namjoon sighs and rubs his eyes. “Okay. Really, please don’t worry about me, Jiminie. I’m fine and it’s not a fever and I’m heading straight to bed.” He picks up his cup, drinks down the rest of the water, and wipes the back of his hand across his mouth.

“Good. Sleep well, hyung,” Jimin replies, nudging Namjoon towards his room.

“You too, Jiminie.”

Jungkook and Taehyung are fast asleep by the time Jimin is ready for bed. He checks on them both, tucking them in under their extra blankets and pressing a kiss to each of their foreheads before climbing into his own bunk.

The next morning, Jimin wakes slowly, disoriented for a moment before remembering they’re in a different place. He rolls onto his stomach, groaning softly when he swallows and realizes his throat is sore.

Well. It was only a matter of time.

Jimin lies there for a few minutes longer, almost falling back asleep, until he hears Jungkook sneeze in the bunk above him.

“Bless you,” he says, getting out of bed. He stands on the first rung of the ladder to peek at Jungkook. “You awake?”

There’s no answer. Jimin turns to the other bunk and sees that Taehyung is still sleeping, buried under his blankets.

Quietly, he grabs his clothes and pads out of the room, stopping by the bathroom to change and brush his teeth. When he makes it out to the living room, Yoongi is sitting in front of the fireplace with a mug of coffee in hand.

“Morning,” he greets Jimin, his voice gruff. “Coffee?”

Jimin shakes his head and sinks down onto the rug in front of the fireplace. What he really needs is some water, but he’s feeling too lazy to go get himself some.

Yoongi clears his throat and leans back against the sofa cushions, taking a sip of his coffee. Jimin is almost certain that Yoongi must be feeling the same as him, his throat bothering him due to the beginnings of a cold, since he clears his throat a second time and he’s wincing when he swallows his coffee.

“I have a bit of scratchy throat this morning,” Jimin tells him. He waits for Yoongi to reply and admit the same, but he remains quiet, his gaze fixed on the flames in the hearth like he’s lost in thought.

At 9 a.m., they go to wake the others up.

Seokjin, Hoseok and Namjoon shuffle after them into the Maknae Room to check on everyone; Jungkook reports that he’s feeling better, but his voice is half-gone and he looks exhausted, yawning every few minutes and not moving from the comforter-cocoon on the top bunk.

Seokjin and Taehyung are feeling the worst, symptom-wise, both of them on day two of their colds. Hoseok and Namjoon are still sick too– faring a little better but still not feeling well– though it’s clear that sleeping has helped all of them.

“We have two things scheduled for today,” Namjoon announces. “We’re going to the chocolate museum first, and then after lunch we’re supposed to do another hike by the lake.”

“Is it…an easy hike?” Taehyung asks hopefully, climbing up to sit on the top bunk next to Jungkook.

“Well, that’s the thing,” Namjoon replies. “I talked with Director-nim last night, and apparently it’s a pretty strenuous hike. Not only is the medical team going to hesitate letting most of us do that in the state we’re in, but also– we’re probably going to have a tough time, physically. There’s a little bit of rock climbing involved, and it’s at a higher elevation than what we did yesterday.”

“We can split up in the afternoon, then,” Hoseok suggests. “Everyone who wants to hike and gets cleared by the medics can go hiking, while everyone else stays back and rests.”

Namjoon nods. “Raise your hand if you want to go on the hike,” he says.

Only Jungkook raises his hand, his eyes still closed. When he cracks one eye open, he sees that everyone else is standing there staring at him in amusement.

“Oh.” He sniffles and closes his eyes again. “I don’t want to go by myself.”

“Can we have a spa day instead?” Seokjin asks. “We can still film something for ARMYs that way, but not push our health.”

“Great idea, hyung.”

“Okay. Everyone who wants to go to the chocolate museum before lunch, raise your hand.”

This time, seven hands are raised in the air.

Jungkook opens both eyes this time to check, smiling sleepily when he sees he’s not the only one.

“Should we, like, consider not going to the museum?” Jimin asks. “So we don’t get other people sick?”

“We have a private tour time scheduled,” Namjoon replies. “Self-guided. If we wear our masks, it should be fine.”

A loud sound fills the room– Jungkook’s stomach, grumbling with hunger. He sheds his blanket and peers down at his hyungs, covering his mouth to yawn. “What’s for breakfast today? Croissants?”

Fond laughter erupts throughout the room. It’s followed by a bout of coughing from Taehyung, and then the sound of Seokjin blowing his nose.

“Anything you want, Jungkookie,” Jimin promises, standing on the bottom bunk so he can reach up and ruffle the maknae’s messy hair.

“Cho-co-la-te,” Taehyung says in Spanish, enunciating each syllable. “Muy rico.”

“Rich?” Jungkook asks, tilting his head to one side.

“It means delicious.”

The chocolate museum is small, and offers not only an extensive explanation on how chocolate is made in general, but also the history of chocolate making all over the world.

“I thought we might get to eat chocolate,” Jungkook pouts longingly as they peer through a large glass window to watch employees stirring large vats of liquid chocolate.

“That’s the next part,” Namjoon chuckles.

“That’s the best part,” Jungkook corrects, perking up at the promise of chocolate.

“You can have my chocolate, Jungkookie,” Seokjin offers. “I don’t think I’ll be able to taste it, anyway.”

“That’s tragic, yet exciting.”

Later, when they’re browsing the gift shop and eating their chocolate samples, Jungkook eats half of Seokjin’s but then makes him try the rest. Seokjin does, walking around with Jungkook clinging tightly to his back like a sleepy, chocolate-sated koala, and pretends like it’s the most delicious thing he’s ever eaten.

They eat empanadas packed in paper bags from a food stall near the museum on the van ride home, so no one is hungry for lunch when they get back to the cabin a couple of hours later. Seokjin and Jimin go to the kitchen to make everyone hot beverages and prepare a few light snacks instead, and they carry everything out to the back deck on wooden trays.

The cabin they’re staying at is rustic and cozy, and the surrounding trees make it feel more isolated than it truly is. There are big wooden Adirondack chairs lined up along one side, with a beautiful view of a nearby lake and the Andes in the distance.

Jimin pulls a small table out and arranges a teapot of chamomile tea, a thermos of hot chocolate, and a mug of coffee for Yoongi. There’s also snacks, including a bowl of tangerines and one of the many boxes of chocolates they’d brought home from the museum’s gift shop.

Jimin passes out blankets once everyone chooses their chair and has a warm drink in hand, making sure that each member is sufficiently bundled up. He has to make three trips back inside before he can sit down himself– once for more tissues, once for more blankets, and once for cough drops and even more tissues.

“Thank you, hyung,” Jungkook says, popping a cough drop into his mouth even though they’d been intended for Taehyung and Hoseok. He’s cradling a box of tissues in one hand and holding his hot chocolate in the other, piled under three blankets and looking like he could fall asleep right there on the deck.

They chat amongst themselves, discussing what they might do for their “spa day”, but in the end none of them actually feel like doing much in the way of self-care and beauty treatments.

“We can do a spa day tomorrow.” Seokjin sighs, sipping on his tea. “Right?”

There’s a soft murmur of agreement from everyone, and with the rest of the day’s responsibilities off the table, Jungkook closes his eyes and snuggles deeper into his blankets for a proper nap.

“We shouldn’t stay outside for too long,” Yoongi murmurs, reaching over to take the empty mug from Jungkook’s loose grip and pull one of the blankets up to cover more of his shoulders. “It’s getting chilly.”

That seems to be the cue for everyone to get up. Hoseok, Taehyung and Seokjin go inside to nap in their bunks. Namjoon, Yoongi and Jimin clean up all of the empty mugs and carry blankets back inside, moving quietly around Jungkook until the last minute.

“Hey.” Namjoon squats in front of Jungkook and reaches out to cup the side of his face. “Kookie, wake up.”

“Nn-uh.”

“Yes,” Namjoon chuckles, pinching Jungkook’s cheek between his fingers. “Time to go inside.”

“Mpfhh.”

“We can cuddle on the sofa. Yoongi’s getting the fire going. It’s nice and warm and–”

Big, sleep-hazy eyes blink up at Namjoon.

“Warm,” Namjoon emphasises, turning his head to cough and clear his throat before looking back at Jungkook. “Cozy. Comfy. We can cuddle in front of the fire under a nice warm blanket.”

“Your voice is lulling him back to sleep,” Yoongi notes, amused as he hovers behind Namjoon.

Sure enough, Jungkook’s eyes are closed again, his face slack.

Namjoon sighs and stands. “Okay. I guess I’ll go get him a hat and another blanket, then.”

A few minutes later, Namjoon has one of the deck chairs pulled in front of Jungkook’s chair, facing him. He tugs Jungkook’s new wool beanie over his head, wraps another blanket around his shoulders, and then settles in the chair with a book and another mug of tea and a content smile on his face.

In the early evening before it’s time to start making dinner, Jimin makes ssanghwa-cha for everyone, something his eomma always used to do for him and his brother when they got sick when they were little kids. The medical staff had luckily been able to find everything he needed, including honey– which his eomma always added to make the drink less bitter. He mixes ssanghwa-cha packets into hot water, stirring in the honey and letting it cool for a bit before bringing the mugs into the living room where everyone is gathered.

“Cold medicine?” He offers, holding out a mug to Seokjin first.

“Thank you, Jiminie,” Seokjin thanks him hoarsely.

“Here’s some medicine, hyung.” Jimin hands a mug to Namjoon next, and then carries two out for Hoseok and Taehyung.

He brings one for Yoongi, too, even though Yoongi hasn’t quite admitted to being sick yet.

Yoongi, who had previously been existing grumpily on the sofa, is now decidedly less grumpy, but only after Jungkook had carried an armful of blankets into the living room and snuggled up next to him.

“Here, Jungkookie. Drink this.” Jimin hands Jungkook a mug, and then another to Yoongi.

Jungkook peers into his mug and then into Yoongi’s before obediently sipping on the drink. “Thank you, hyung,” he says, smiling up at Jimin.

Yoongi mirrors him, bringing the mug up to his lips to drink and giving Jimin a nod of thanks.

Jimin, satisfied that everyone is drinking their cold medicine, returns to the kitchen to grab his own mug before heading back out. The ssanghwa-cha tastes a little too medicinal to be good, but it soothes his throat and makes Jimin think about his childhood in a sudden rush of memories that make his chest feel strangely tight.

“My mom used to make this for me when I had a cold,” he says out loud, sniffling softly. “Makes me feel like I should be watching cartoons.”

Taehyung reaches over and rubs his back. “We can watch cartoons, if you want.”

Instead of watching cartoons, they decide to watch some of the footage from their first day of the trip instead. They gather around one of the staff member’s laptops, watching themselves explore the town and shop.

“Jungkook looks sooo cute in that hat,” Jimin coos, leaning closer towards the screen to see better.

“Oof. I look tired,” Hoseok grimaces.

“We all were pretty jet lagged that day, huh?”

“Why are Jimin and Taehyung holding hands the entire time?”

“Namjoon-hyung, why are you walking so bouncy?”

After they’re done watching, there’s a moment where they consider just eating chocolate and ramen for dinner, but when Jungkook starts looking a little too eager to actually do that, Seokjin rallies and drags Jimin and Hoseok into the kitchen with him to make food for everyone.

“It’ll be easy,” he says, washing his hands and rolling up his sleeves before gathering all of the ingredients from the fridge to make pasta and meat and potatoes– a feast of what is supposed to be Argentine inspired cuisine, but Seokjin decides to Korean-ify instead.

“I can’t really taste or smell much today,” he explains, lining up spice jars on the counter. “But I know how to season Korean food by heart.”

They end up making a few Korean-Argentine fusion dishes: grilled steak with gochujang-chimichurri, potatoes roasted with honey and soy sauce, and a large pot of creamy, garlicky pasta seasoned with gochugaru and plenty of parmesan. Jimin makes rice, too, and Seokjin whips up a side of baechu-geotjeori to round everything out while the table is being set.

After combining an afternoon of rest, well-timed doses of cold medicine plus Jimin’s ssanghwa-cha, and the promise of a hearty meal, the atmosphere at dinner is lively and chaotic. Seokjin has to excuse himself from the table for nearly five minutes when he starts sneezing mid-meal, and Taehyung’s nose is running like a faucet the second he eats his first bite of food, and the tissues pile up until Hoseok brings over the trash can and makes everyone throw them away instead of leaving them on the table.

A game of rock, paper, scissors determines that Seokjin, Jimin and Hoseok are on clean-up duty. Namjoon, Yoongi, Taehyung and Jungkook have all changed into their pajamas and are playing cards around the table by the time they’re done. After all seven of them play cards for an hour or so, Jimin rounds everyone up again and herds them to get ready for bed.

Tonight, as he’s setting out doses of cold medicine like a line of shots, Namjoon joins him to help.

“How are you feeling?” Namjoon asks softly, filling water cups.

“Mostly just a sore throat today. How about you, hyung?”

Namjoon seems to consider his answer for a moment before speaking. “I feel pretty bad, honestly. But more than that, I’m just worried about everyone. I know we’re all pushing ourselves a little more because of filming. Not resting as much as we should be…” He trails off, face twisting in thought. “I’m not sure we should try to do any more activities this week.”

Jimin nods in agreement. “Why not just make the rest of our trip relaxing and stay inside? Content-wise, the directors can figure everything out. But we can make a cabin getaway just as entertaining as kayaking or hiking. As long as we are actually focusing on our health, too, I think that would be for the best.”

“Agreed. We’ll meet as a team to discuss in the morning. Maybe we’ll all be feeling a lot better then.”

Jimin kind of doubts that, and he can tell that Namjoon doesn’t quite believe it either, but he still smiles hopefully.

Yoongi shuffles into the kitchen last, sitting down on a stool and leaning forward so Jimin can take his temperature.

“How are you feeling?” He asks, handing Yoongi water and medicine.

The closest thing to an answer Jimin gets is that Yoongi doesn’t refuse, drinking down the cold medicine and then the water in turn. He’s quiet though, intentionally not answering Jimin’s question directly.

“Do you have enough blankets?” Jimin asks, taking his own medicine dose. The taste is unpleasant and he quickly washes it down with water.

Yoongi nods and gives Jimin a small yet tired smile. “Mm-hmm. Thanks.”

“Okay, then. Sleep well, hyung. See you in the morning.”

Jimin isn’t the first to wake the next morning.

In fact, he’s the last, and when he opens his eyes he can hear voices in the distance, muffled by a fuzzy feeling in his head and in his ears.

He’s freezing cold. After forcing his eyes open, he sees why– all of his blankets are bunched up around his feet, leaving him uncovered and shivering on his bunk. Sitting up to grab the blankets makes it painfully apparent that he is sick sick, suffering full-on now from the same cold that’s been steadily passed between the members; his throat hurts, his face hurts, and his nose isn’t working properly.

Groaning softly, Jimin manages to tug a blanket over himself as he flops back down. He’s not sure what time it is or where everyone else is, but for the first time during their trip he just can’t bring himself to care about anything other than lying completely still.

For a while, he drifts in and out of a restless sleep, waking himself up with his own stuffy snores. Then, he manages to roll onto his side, which helps with the snoring but somehow makes his throat feel worse.

Eventually, Jimin pushes himself upright and pulls a blanket around his shoulders. He spots a box of tissues on the floor and practically dives for it, trying to blow his nose for several seconds before giving up when nothing in his sinuses budges. Then, he stumbles out to the living room in search of the others.

“Jiminie,” Taehyung croons, sprawled out on the couch with his head in Yoongi’s lap. “Look at you!”

That makes everyone else look at Jimin. He must look as bad as he feels, because there’s a mixture of concern and pity among the six faces staring at him.

“How did you sleep?” Namjoon asks, reaching over to rub his back. “We tried to wake you, but…”

Jimin frowns. He looks around for his phone, his brain taking a long moment to remember that it’s probably still back in the room. Then he squints at the walls, hoping to spot a clock, but doesn’t get any luck there.

“It’s almost noon,” Namjoon tells him, picking up on his confusion.

“How do you feel?” Taehyung asks, opening his arms and motioning for Jimin to come over.

Jimin stays where he is, unable to make his feet move.

“I’m…” He sniffles wetly, but it does nothing to clear the congestion packing his sinuses. “I’m all stuffed up,” he whines, reaching up to massage the bridge of his nose. There’s an awful feeling there, something that’s prickly and throbbing. He wants to sneeze, but at the same time hopes he won’t because his head is killing him.

“Ohh, you sound it,” Seokjin murmurs, taking Jimin’s arm and gently tugging him towards the couch.

Taehyung sits up and pulls Jimin down next to him, adjusting the blanket around his shoulders. Swallowing thickly, Jimin groans and lets himself list sideways until he’s leaning heavily against Taehyung’s side, too heavy and weak to keep himself upright.

Jungkook hands him a tissue box, but it’s Taehyung who takes it for him and pulls a few tissues out.

“Blow your nose,” he instructs.

Jimin attempts a weak nose blow, but again, there’s no movement– just a pitiful, congested squeak that comes out.

Namjoon settles on the armrest of the couch and resumes rubbing his back. “We discussed what to do for the rest of the trip,” he says. “Everyone is in agreement that we’ll do more of a stay-cation style of filming from here on out.”

Clearing his throat, Jimin nods. “Were they able to cancel everything?” He croaks, suddenly worried about plans and deposits.

“Mostly,” Namjoon chuckles hoarsely. “The filming crew is being treated to a boat tour as we speak.”

Hoseok emerges from the kitchen and sets a steaming mug down on the coffee table in front of Jimin. He’s holding something else too– a small plastic cup that takes Jimin several seconds to realize contains cold medicine.

“Thank you,” Jimin says, sipping down the medicine and then picking up the mug.

Immediately, he has to set it back down when the tickle in his nose finally pushes him towards a sneeze. He cups a hand over his nose, sneezes again, and then feels a tissue being tucked into his free hand.

“Thank you,” he manages to get out before sneezing once more– not into his hand and not into the tissue, but rather into the space in between the two. “Oops.”

He hears Taehyung laugh as he reaches over and dabs at Jimin’s nose with a tissue. “Bless you. Poor Minnie.”

Jimin’s face feels warm. He slumps back against Taehyung with a whine, rubbing his nostrils to try to calm his nose. It works, for the time being, but it leaves him feeling somehow more congested than before, which doesn’t even seem possible.

Around him, the others are chatting, but Jimin can’t keep up with a single conversation. He dozes on the couch instead. He can feel Taehyung’s arm around him, holding him snugly. After a while, he’s vaguely aware of more movement, and then he’s lying on his side with head resting on something soft. He doesn’t even bother to open his eyes, too drowsy and too miserable, and soon falls back asleep.

He sleeps through a lot. Once, when he wakes up, all of the members are still there in the living room, gathered around the coffee table inspecting a variety of items that Jimin is pretty sure hadn’t been there before– a large basket of beauty products, a variety of snacks and tea, and something that looks like a paint set.

He hears Jungkook talking about video games, and Namjoon discussing a model airplane with Hoseok that, apparently, Hoseok is already constructing in front of the fireplace. There’s a stack of books too, which is the last thing Jimin sees before closing his eyes again.

The next time he wakes up, no one is in the living room. At least, no one in his line of sight. There’s someone coughing somewhat nearby, but Jimin falls back asleep before he can find out who it is.

Jimin is the one coughing when he opens his eyes next. His throat is dry and he’s grateful to see his mug is still sitting on the coffee table where he’d left it. He sits up and grabs the mug, drinking now-cooled tea in long, greedy gulps until his coughing subsides.

When the tea is gone, Jimin is still thirsty, and still feels like he’s on the verge of another cough. He stands up slowly, rolling his stiff shoulders and neck, and then wanders through the cabin until he ends up in the kitchen.

Namjoon is sitting at the counter reading a book.

“Hi,” Jimin croaks, coughing immediately after.

“Hey.” Namjoon hurries to grab him a glass of water to drink, guiding Jimin to sit down. “How are you feeling?”

“Weird,” Jimin answers after his throat stops protesting. “Hate being sick.”

“Aw, I know,” Namjoon murmurs, rubbing his back.

Jimin sits there for a while, sipping more water while Namjoon resumes reading. He feels all fuzzy, and his nose and throat hurt a lot. He vaguely wonders where everyone else is– and Namjoon, seemingly reading his mind, turns to him then.

“Kook and Jin-hyung are playing video games. Everyone else is out on the back deck, I think,” he says. “It’s pretty cold out there, though, so bundle up if you go outside.”

Jimin considers it for a moment. There’s a part of him that wants to go check on everyone, to make sure they’re feeling okay and are properly bundled up. Namjoon, he can tell, is feeling much better now.

Eventually, he makes his decision and stands up, refilling his water glass before grabbing his coat and hat. He finds Hoseok and Taehyung sitting in the Adirondack chairs playing a card game. Jimin joins them for a bit, just watching them play, watching their faces as they laugh and sniffle and shout at each other. He has no clue what game they’re playing, but they both seem to be in high spirits and that’s all Jimin needs to know.

After a while, he goes inside and finds Seokjin and Jungkook hovering over a Nintendo Switch in the living room. They’re sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace– had they been there the entire time? Jimin isn’t sure how he missed them there, or how he slept through their competitive bickering earlier. Neither of them notice as he sinks down onto the couch and watches them giggling and shoving each other’s shoulders like fighting siblings, a tissue box between them.

Jimin heads back to the kitchen when he runs out of water in his glass. Namjoon is still there, so Jimin sits down next to him again and keeps him company for a while. He wonders where Yoongi is, and guesses he must be sleeping.

After Jimin finishes another glass of water, he leans his head against Namjoon’s shoulder. Namjoon is still deeply immersed in his book, but he puts one arm around Jimin and strokes his thumb up and down Jimin’s bicep, and Jimin can hear both Namjoon’s and his own congested breathing in the near-silence of the kitchen.

Before dinner, Jimin decides to take a proper nap. Hoseok and Jungkook have taken over the couch and are both napping too, while the others are doing various activities around the cabin or on the back deck.

Jimin is tired. He feels like it’s too hard to keep his eyes open, and his throat can only take so much coughing and sniffling and sneezing before he’s going to need to take drastic measures.

On his way to Room Maknae, he hears a soft cough coming from the other room and pauses just outside the door.

“Permission to enter Room Kim Seokjin?” He asks, knocking on the doorframe when he notices Yoongi is sitting on one of the bottom bunks in there.

Yoongi sniffles, his back partly turned to Jimin, and scrubs a hand over his face. “Okay,” he responds gruffly, his voice cracking slightly.

Jimin shuffles in and stands in front of Yoongi, ready to ask his hyung if he wants to join him for a nap when he catches sight of Yoongi’s face. Yoongi’s brow is furrowed, his chin quivering and his eyes red and watery, as if he’s been crying.

Yoongi looks so sad that Jimin feels tears welling up in his own eyes.

“Oh, hyung,” he murmurs, sitting down next to Yoongi on the bed. “What’s wrong?”

Yoongi swallows. Swallows again, like he’s physically trying to prepare his voice to answer. He opens his mouth, closes it, and then closes his eyes before saying, “I want to go home.”

It’s so quiet that Jimin almost can’t hear it. But he does, and he wraps his arms around Yoongi and holds him against his chest. “Oh, hyung.”

Yoongi is tense in his arms, his body trembling, and Jimin can tell he’s intentionally holding himself there, on the edge of breaking down. Jimin reaches up one hand to stroke Yoongi’s hair and waits, knowing Yoongi will likely compose himself before letting himself show more vulnerability that he’s already showing, but preparing to comfort him all the same.

Sure enough, after five minutes have passed, Yoongi takes a long, shuddering breath and pulls away a little, turning his face away to swipe at his eyes with his sleeve.

“Sorry,” he whispers hoarsely, sniffling.

“Hyung, I’m so sorry you’re not feeling well,” Jimin says, reaching out to gently cup Yoongi’s chin and turn his head back. “And it’s totally understandable that you’d want to be home when you’re sick.”

Yoongi blinks, and a single tear rolls down his face. Jimin swipes a thumb across his cheek to catch it.

“This is ridiculous,” Yoongi mutters, embarrassed. “I’m just…fuck, I don’t know why I’m feeling so...”

“Homesick?” Jimin says softly, his heart clenching.

Yoongi sniffles into his sleeve, nodding. “Yeah, I guess.”

“I get homesick sometimes,” Jimin admits softly. “Mostly when we go on tour. But especially when we were younger. God knows how many times Taehyung has seen me crying for my eomma and appa,” he chuckles. “Look, it might feel a little embarrassing, or like it’s childish, but I promise it’s not. Everyone can get homesick, hyung. It’s not an embarrassing thing.”

Rolling his eyes, Yoongi turns his head away again with a soft huff, but he looks back after a moment. “Thank you.”

“You know what always makes me feel better when I’m homesick?” Jimin asks with a smile. “Korean food.”

“Yeah?” Yoongi sniffles again and reaches for a tissue when Jimin hands him the box.

“Yeah. We’ll order a ton. So much Korean food.”

“Good,” Yoongi laughs, the sound shaky and wet. “Because I can’t eat another empanada.”

Jimin bursts into laughter, falling onto his back on the bed. He half-pulls Yoongi with him, and Yoongi coughs in surprise, curling sideways until his head is resting on Jimin’s stomach.

“Man,” Yoongi says shakily after a minute, sitting up and reaching for another tissue. “I was hoping so hard I wouldn’t get sick.”

Jimin sits up too. “I don’t think we’ve ever managed to not share our colds before.”

“True.”

Yawning, Jimin looks around the room. “Hey. Want to take a nap?”

Yoongi looks around too, then tilts his head. “On the same bed?” He asks, one corner of his mouth twitching up.

Jimin shrugs and smiles. “Why not?”

Though it’s a tight fit, they both slide under the blankets together, Yoongi with his back up against the wall and Jimin pressed against his chest.

“Thank you,” Yoongi says again, his voice fading and his arm wrapped around Jimin’s waist– and then he’s asleep, a soft snuffling noise coming from his nose as his breathing evens out.

After a late dinner that evening, all of the members gather in the living room to paint.

Jimin is feeling a little more clear-headed than he had been earlier in the day. He sits next to Yoongi on the floor and drapes a blanket across both of their laps.

Since they’re filming themselves, they try to clean up the area as much as possible of all of the tissues and cough drop wrappers and empty water bottles, and instead spread out sets of paints and brushes and pads of paper. Jungkook gets to work right away, choosing one of the canvases and propping it up in front of him with a look of determined concentration.

Tugging two sets of watercolors closer, Jimin helps himself to a sheet of watercolor paper and sets one in front of Yoongi. He decides he’s going to try to paint the view they have from the back deck of the cabin. Yoongi doesn’t paint anything specific, but goes for a more abstract look, swirling strokes of greens and blues and purples together on the page.

On Jimin’s other side, Hoseok is doing something similar, brightly colored splashes of acrylic paint on a canvas that remind Jimin of fireworks.

Seokjin gives up on painting halfway through. He puts his painting on the coffee table– something that looks like a bright pink dog in the middle of the page– and settles on the couch with the basket of spa products from earlier. After convincing Namjoon to abandon his painting too and join him, the two of them put on face masks. They crack themselves up when Seokjin sneezes harshly and his mask slides down his face and into his lap, which causes Namjoon to fall forward with laughter until his face mask falls off too.

Taehyung, who has chosen to forgo a paintbrush, is fingerpainting on a square piece of paper. He absently picks up a tissue and wipes his nose, then holds it there for a bit, sniffling into it. With his hand not holding the tissue, he resumes his painting, only to have to pause a moment later and reach for another tissue. The first tissue gets pulled away to reveal Taehyung’s nose smudged with red and blue paint, which then gets wiped onto his upper lip by the second tissue.

By the time Taehyung has stopped sniffling and wiping his nose and has crumpled up both used tissues in his fist, Hoseok is cackling at him, pointing at his painted nose.

A laugh bursts out of Jimin when he looks over and sees what Hoseok is pointing at.

“Aigo, Tae,” he says, standing up to grab a washcloth from the bathroom.

Jimin squats down in front of Taehyung and cleans the paint from his nose. Taehyung scrunches up his face, still trying to concentrate on his painting until Jimin pinches the washcloth around his nostrils.

“Blow,” he murmurs, and Taehyung obeys, letting Jimin clean him up without a second thought.

Hoseok’s face has dipped into a slight frown when Jimin looks over at him.

“What?” Jimin asks defensively, carefully folding up the cloth and standing. “He was getting paint everywhere.”

After Jimin disposes of the washcloth in the dirty towels pile, he takes a detour through the kitchen, deciding to make everyone mugs of ssanghwa-cha to drink while they’re painting. He leans against the counter as he’s waiting for the hot water to boil, massaging the space between his brows where a headache is forming. Somehow, he still feels so tired this evening even after sleeping for most of the day already, and he’s starting to dread their journey home, which starts tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, he and everyone else will be able to sleep on the plane.

Jimin carries mugs out to everyone, then settles back down beside Yoongi. He doesn’t quite feel like working on his painting anymore, so he sips his medicine and watches everyone else work instead. Jungkook’s painting is a masterpiece per usual, but the other paintings are no less beautiful; each member has their own unique style that makes Jimin smile.

One by one, they line their pictures up on either side of the hearth, and then join Seokjin and Namjoon on the couch to apply face masks. They only stay for about ten minutes longer, since half of them are yawning and almost all of them are sniffling or coughing. After washing up, taking cold medicine, and cleaning up all of the painting supplies, they head to their bunks for their last night in the cabin, curling up under blankets and creating a symphony of congested snores as they fall asleep.

Jimin sets his alarm and wakes up early the next morning. He blearily drags himself through getting dressed and brushing his teeth and taking cold medicine, then pops a cough drop into his mouth and starts packing up his suitcase. Jungkook and Taehyung sleep through it all, both so deeply asleep that they’re snoring louder than Jimin has ever heard before.

After he’s done with his own suitcase, he packs up Taehyung’s stuff, and then Jungkook’s. Then, he goes to the kitchen to prepare medicine, water, and tea for everyone. It’s nice and peaceful in the cabin as he helps one of the staff clean up around the place, making sure they won’t leave anything behind.

Next, Jimin goes into the kitchen and starts making eggs and rice for breakfast. He has to stop so many times to blow his nose and then wash his hands that he almost gives up, but when he hears movement from down the hall he’s motivated to finish.

“Breakfast is ready,” he announces, sticking his head into Room Kim Seokjin first. Yoongi and Namjoon are up, but Seokjin and Hoseok are still in their bunks.

“Noo,” Seokjin groans, but he sits up and rubs his eyes, looking unfairly handsome for having just woken up.

Hoseok takes a little more coaxing to open his eyes. Jimin leaves Yoongi to do that, and heads to Room Maknae to get Taehyung and Jungkook up.

First, he climbs up onto the top bunk and pulls the covers off of Jungkook. He’s very tempted to lie down and go back to sleep with the maknae, but instead he uses his fingertip to tickle under Jungkook’s chin until he starts to stir.

“Wake uuup,” he sings, lightly pinching the tip of Jungkook’s nose until his face scrunches up and he tries to turn away. “Jungkookieee. Wake up!”

For another minute, Jimin bothers Jungkook, poking his cheeks and pulling up his sleep shirt to expose his tummy, and Jungkook fights him for every second of that minute until he finally opens his eyes to glare up at Jimin.

“Wake up,” Jimin grins. “There’s food.”

That finally gets Jungkook going, although grudgingly, and Jimin climbs back down to bother Taehyung next.

Taehyung wakes up with less prompting, but more coughing. He slings an arm across his face and coughs against his skin, then groans and blinks up at Jimin with watery eyes.

“C’mon, there’s water and food if you follow me,” Jimin tells him, tugging him up.

Taehyung and Jungkook shuffle after Jimin sleepily, sniffling and yawning loudly. They take their medicine, and then carry the water, mug of tea, and plate of food Jimin gives each of them to the table.

Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok and Namjoon all come out a few minutes later, lining up to get their medicine and breakfast. The seven of them eat around the table, still wearing their pajamas, the only sounds the clink of chopsticks against bowls and the occasional cough or sleepy sniffle.

Halfway through breakfast, Jungkook almost falls back asleep, his chin falling to his chest in between bites. He just as quickly jerks back upright with a half-snore, blinking around at everyone in confusion until the table dissolves into soft laughter.

Jimin watches everyone eat, cupping his mug in both hands. Despite the dull ache in his head and the congestion still clogging his sinuses, he doesn’t feel nearly as bad as he expected. They all still look a bit miserable, red noses and pale faces, but everyone also looks happy, smiles lighting up their features.

Once breakfast is finished, they slowly begin getting ready for the day, layering sweatshirts and scarves while staff packs equipment and loads suitcases into the van outside.

For the last activity of the trip, they make the short trek down to the lake outside their cabin. They bundle up and follow the dirt path that leads down to the water. Fresh snow crunches beneath their shoes and the cold air turns their cheeks pink almost instantly.

The lake is quiet when they arrive, smooth as glass beneath the cloudy sky, with the Andes rising in the distance behind it.

“It looks fake,” Jungkook murmurs, staring out across the water in awe. His voice is still rough from his cold, but stronger than it had been yesterday. “Almost like a painting.”

Taehyung wanders ahead of the group, stepping out onto a small wooden dock while Hoseok trails after him and warns him to be careful.

“I won’t fall in. But if I do,” Taehyung declares dramatically, “tell ARMY I lived a beautiful life.”

“I’ll tell them you died with tissues stuffed in both nostrils,” Yoongi calls back dryly, to which Jungkook laughs so hard that Hoseok actually grabs onto his arm and pulls him back from the shore a bit.

They spend a while there doing nothing much at all. Namjoon skips stones across the lake with limited success while Seokjin attempts to teach Jungkook how to do it properly, only for Jungkook to throw one so hard it disappears straight into the water with a loud splash. Jimin ends up being the best one at skipping stones, so Taehyung pulls out his phone and makes Jimin do it again so he can take a video.

Hoseok pulls out his phone, too, and takes photos of everyone bundled up together, with the lake in the background. It’s cold enough that all of their noses are running, so the picture likely isn’t going to make it to Weverse, but it still makes Jimin smile when he looks at it.

Eventually, they make their way back toward the cabin. Halfway up the trail, Jungkook stops and turns around one last time to look at the lake.

“We should come back someday,” he says softly.

“Next time, when none of us are sick,” Seokjin agrees. “It’s so pretty here.”

A chorus of agreement rises through the group. Someday, they’ll come back together and see more of this beautiful place.

They don’t really talk about it much, but ever since their early days when they started traveling a lot, the members had been thoroughly coached on how to survive long flights and the inevitable jetlag that comes with crossing timezones frequently. In some of their busiest days, they’d been offered sleep aids for the flights, and it’s still the case that most of them still take something when they’re going to be on a plane for an especially long time.

For this trip, however, they’re all taking nighttime cold medicine. Their medical team has doses prepared for them to take on the way to the airport, so by the time they board they’re all tired and drowsy enough to fall asleep.

Jimin is grateful that he’s always been able to sleep fairly well when traveling. He’s the most worried about Namjoon, but they put Jungkook in the seat next to him, because it’s a well known fact that it’s almost impossible not to sleep with a warm, snuggly maknae at your side.

After settling into his seat, Jimin pulls out his eye mask and checks the time on his phone. It’ll be a long trip, but the flight home always seems to go more quickly. As the plane starts taxiing on the runway, he takes a quick look around at the others, and silently hopes that they’ll be able to sleep comfortably for the journey.

Then, before the plane even takes off, Jimin closes his eyes and falls asleep.

The wait for their luggage seems unbearably long. It’s always the worst part of traveling– waiting at baggage claim after a long flight, before finally getting to travel the final stretch home.

Jimin isn’t paying attention to anything but the section of conveyor belt in front of him, his gaze focused but not, he realizes after what must be five or ten minutes, actually seeing anything.

“So,” Taehyung says, sidling up to Jimin and throwing an arm around his shoulder. “When are you going to pay up?”

Jimin’s jaw cracks with a yawn. “Hmm? Pay up for what?”

“The bet.”

Jimin freezes, suddenly alert. “What? What do you mean?” His voice goes suspiciously high at the end, but there’s no way that Taehyung knows–

“Jungkook’s suitcase wasn’t the last one out, was it?”

Shit. Taehyung definitely knows.

“Neither was Namjoon-hyung’s!” Jimin sputters, trying to deflect.

“So? You cheated. I think you should pay up.”

“I didn’t cheat!” Jimin protests. “Jungkook was the last to pack!”

“But he wasn’t the last to bring his suitcase out. That was you. And what was our bet again, hmm?”

Walking past the crowd and sinking into a chair, Jimin puts his head in his hands. “I can’t believe you knew and didn’t say anything.”

“I can’t believe you were trying to pull one over on me!”

Jimin slumps down in his chair. There’s only one course of action now.

Sniffling, he looks over at Taehyung with his best impression of a sad puppy. “Can you forgive me?” He sniffles again for good measure, swiping a finger under his nose and adding in a weak cough at the end.

It works like a charm, and Taehyung reaches out to take Jimin’s face in both hands. “Of course I can,” he insists, leaning forward until their foreheads touch. “I was just teasing! We can call it a tie.”

“Okay,” Jimin nods, his nose brushing against Taehyung’s. “Thank you. I promise I’ll never lie to you ever again.”

“Pinky swear?” Taehyung leans back and holds out his pinky, and Jimin hooks his pinky around it.

“Let’s take one last selca,” Jimin suggests, quickly changing the subject. “For the end of our trip.”

Taehyung nods and pulls his phone out, grinning at the screen.

“Say, “¡Buen viaje!””

Jimin smiles and starts to repeat the phrase, but right as he does and Taehyung’s finger pushes the button to take the picture, Taehyung sneezes.

It’s loud. So loud, in fact, that nearly everyone in the vicinity turns to look at them.

“Oh no,” Taehyung sniffles sadly. “That’s not gonna be a very good selca.”

“Bless you,” Jimin sighs, pulling a crumpled but clean tissue from his hoodie pocket. “Here.”

“There you two are!” Seokjin calls out, leading Namjoon and Jungkook behind him. “We’ve been waiting for you for fifteen minutes now!”

Yoongi and Hoseok aren’t far behind. They have Jimin and Taehyung’s suitcase with them.

“Sorry,” Taehyung says, not sounding very apologetic. “Hey, before we go home, how about one last picture together in the airport? To end our trip properly?”

Even though everyone is tired, they gather together, squishing in close to humor Taehyung.

“Okay, on the count of three, everyone say, “¡Buen viaje!” One…two…three…”

“¡Buen viaje!”

When Taehyung tilts the phone towards them for review, there’s a beat of silence. Then, Yoongi clears his throat.

“Well,” he says as they look at the seven haggard faces staring up at them from the screen. “Maybe this one stays in the group chat.”

“Speak for yourself,” Seokjin scoffs, but everyone else is nodding frantically in agreement. Namjoon throws an arm around Jungkook’s shoulder. “Let’s go home,” he says, and that sets everyone into motion, grabbing suitcases and making their way through the airport together as a group, ready to head home after a long but fun week of filming together for one of their most eventful seasons of Bon Voyage– or, Buen Viaje– yet.

#fic #bts #waouh oh my gosh i love this so much

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

btsnz