The soft buzz of his phone startled Yoongi from his light doze, and he jolted upright from where he'd been slumped over his desk, blinking dazedly into the fuzzy brightness of his studio.

His phone vibrated again, and he automatically reached for it, thumbing open the incoming call and fumbling the phone to his ear-

"-'ello?" he mumbled, by instinct more than actual thought process as he tried to shake himself back into wakefulness.

"Y- Yoongi-ya?" Jin questioned, sounding more than slightly skeptical at the vague opener- not at all like Yoongi's usual business-like phone etiquette.

The sound of his hyungs dubious voice finally seemed to de-fog the windscreen of Yoongi's brain, and sudden clarity hit him.

Jimin had stayed to run through the choreography for their title track with Taehyung a few more times, the younger still trailing behind due to his recent filming schedule. Yoongi had volunteered to stay behind and dabble with is lyrics, and then bring the two home after a couple of hours.

He glanced hurriedly at the timestamp in the corner of the phone and blanched.

2 am. Well- Oops?

Bringing the phone hastily back to his ear, Yoongi caught the tail end of Jin's scolding voice, "-any idea what time it is? It's one thing to push your own limits, Min Yoongi, but I expected you to be the responsible hyung with Jimin and Tae! You've all got to be up in a few hours!"

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Yoongi briefly contemplated telling Jin he'd got caught up in his work, or that he'd been on a roll or something, before sighing; voice aiming for somewhere nearer to assured and in control as he explained, "I'm- I fell asleep, hyung. I'm really sorry."

Yoongi could practically see Jin softening, his anger gentling into understanding and compassion; the oldest knew the effort it took for Yoongi to make such a vulnerable admission.

"Oh- okay. Okay. That's okay. That's... " Jin stumbled slightly over his words, and Yoongi hoped he wasn't going to try and make a moment out of the situation. He knew that Jin was touched by his honesty and felt there was nothing to forgive, and he knew that Jin knew he knew. It was enough.

Thankfully, Jin followed with, "-Well, you're coming home now, right?"

And that was an easy one. "Yes, hyung- it's late, you should go back to bed."


Phone, notebook and his few other belongings tucked into the bag draped over his shoulder, Yoongi made his way down the hallway, plunging the building into darkness as he went, finding light switches, checking equipment was off and closing doors. The mirrored practice room he'd left the two younger in earlier was one of the closest to the buildings north-most entrance; they'd have no reason to come back this way.

The door was closed when he arrived, the soundproofing of the room making the music barely audible, but Yoongi could feel the thumping beat beneath his feet.

Cracking the door open warily, Yoongi prepared for sound at an inappropriate decibel for 2 am, but was pleasantly surprised to find it 'just slightly louder than necessary'.

He'd half expected to find the two curled up asleep in a messy puppy pile in the corner of the room, on a nest made of abandoned sweaters and hoodies or something, but both were still up and moving.

As he watched, they stepped into the climax sequence of the track; Jimin effortless and captivating as usual, but Taehyung (who'd only seriously started learning the choreography two days ago), mirroring him flawlessly.

It was evident that they'd both been working very hard.

Much too hard for 2 am; both were drenched in sweat, hair damp and slicked back off visibly flushed skin.

Yoongi was quick to step in, breaking into a slow round of applause that had both boys breaking from the dance moves in slight startlement, spinning towards him and breaking into excited eager smiles.

"Hyung! Did you see-"
"Isn't he doing brilliantly!"

Making his way across the room and switching off the music, Yoongi grinned in return as he nodded, "I did- and yes, he is Jimin. You both are-it looked fantastic. But it's after two, and Jin is going to scalp me if I don't get the pair of you home, so-"

"Two? 2 am?!" Jimin squeaked, swiveling futilely as if a timepiece would suddenly appear to confirm his disbelief, and Yoongi laughed at Taehyung's dramatic collapse to the floor, breathing like he'd run a marathon and moaning about Jimin being a slave driver.

"Yup, so we'd better get home and get some sleep. Come'on, grab your stuff and let's get out of here-" he affirmed, offering a hand and pulling Tae to his feet, shoving him gently towards this abandoned shoes and bag.

Once Taehyung had securely tugged his bag and one shoe to his chest (Jimin tasked with the collection of the other), Yoongi shepparded them out of the room, flicking the light off, leaving just the green glow of the exit sign above the door at the end of the corridor to beckon them through the darkness.

"Hyung, I'm thirsty. My water bottle's been empty for ages." Jimin's disembodied voice came from somewhere to his left-

It was 2am. Home was 14 minutes away. Bed was 14 minutes away. (Jin was 14 minutes away, and Yoongi guessed he had about that much time exactly before he needed to start worrying about his scalp.) "Can you wait until we get-"

Yoongi sighed internally as almost immediately-

"Yeah, hyung. We're thirsty." Taehyung tag teamed from the right.

And he supposed- they had been involved in physically strenuous exercise for the past several (many several) hours, and they were walking right past the coffee/break room.

And he was kind of thirsty too.


The fluorescent light bathed the small room in harsh artificial illumination, and Yoongi held the door open for the pair, both making a beeline for the water dispenser in the corner of the room-

Only to find that the tray on the table beside it had none of the mismatched drinking glasses that usually lived there.

At the dual puppy dog eyes, Yoongi sighed, dropping his bag by the table and made his way to the small sink by the window, selected three of the glasses from the rather intimidating pile of dirty dishes to the left and quickly rinsed them beneath the tap.

Shaking his head at the ridiculous grabby hands the two were making, Yoongi turned, took two steps-

A startlingly loud popping sound echoed like the crack of a firearm above him and a bright flash of red blinded his peripheral for an instant before the room was plunged into pitch-black darkness.

Yoongi flinched, and the three glasses, still slick with water droplets, slipped from his hands.

The startled shriek and a frightened gasp were drowned out by the sound of smashing glass; the tinkle of spreading shards echoing for long seconds after.

Even in the overwhelming sudden darkness, it took Yoongi bare seconds to calm his racing heart, gather his shot nerves, realize what had happened and open his mouth-, "Taehyung! Don't mo-"

The sharply sucked in yelp was edged with unexpected pain, and told Yoongi it had been seconds too late, "Tae? Taehyung, I said don't move - there's glass everywhere. Did you already step on some? Are you okay? Jimin? Where are you? Are you-"

"I'm here, hyung-" Jimin's small voice answered from in the general direction Yoongi had expected it, but he wasn't sure whether the younger was just confirming his presence or if he was just overlooking the fact that Yoongi couldn't see anything-

Jimin seemed to realize this as well because he let out a tittering little giggle and added, "I'm okay, I'm still near the water thing. What- What happened?"

"Tae?" Yoongi prompted first, assuming that their second youngest had just been waiting to hear that Jimin was okay before answering.

"-ah, ye.. mhmm. Mmm, 'm 'kay- " Taehyung's answered from the darkness, but Yoongi wasn't buying whatever it was Tae thought he was selling- not with his voice thin and pinched like that.

"Yeah, okay- not saying I don't believe you, brat, but that's exactly what I'm saying-" Yoongi quipped, staring hard in the direction he though Tae and Jimin were, trying to force his eyes into seeing.

"Taetae?" Jimin's voice questioned, worried, and then clued into what Yoongi had immediately remembered earlier, adding, " What's- Oh, your feet! Your shoes! Hang on, I'll piggy-back y-"

A shuffling noise and the sound of moving shards sounded and Yoongi bit out harshly, "Jimin-ah! Don't move-"

The sounds ceased, Jimin's voice replacing them, "It's okay hyung, I have shoes on-"

"I know, but there could be part of one of the glasses with a big sharp stabby bit that could go clean through your shoe. No moving. Taehyung, did you already step on some? How bad is it? Honestly? ...Do either of you have your phone on you?"

"Both flat" Jimin answered meekly before he prompted, "Tae?"

Taehyung groaned theatrically, wailing- "Oh, it's terrible. So bad. The pain- the agony! I think it's that giant stabby bit you were talking about, hyung- I'm dying! "

Yoongi relaxed slightly. Drama-queen Taehyung was a relatively unscathed Taehyung. "Okay. Die quietly; I'm trying to think. Just don't move."

Yoongi could hear Taehyung sulking in the corner. The brat was probably pulling faces.

Yoongi pulled one back, just because he could.

Swiveling slightly, Yoongi patted down his pockets, just in case, even though he knew he'd put his phone in his bag. He muttered under his breath, "My phone is in my bag, which is somewhere on the floor- probably covered in glass because the lightbulb exploded as well. Not something I wanna stick my fingers into blindly. I need them. Uh- "

"Yoongi-hyung, you're thinking out loud." Jimin pointed out, a snicker in his voice now that the initial fright had worn off.

Yoongi was glad to play along if it kept them occupied and most importantly, not moving. He bantered back, "Hush peasant, you're interrupting brilliance- "

"Jiminie, are you wearing that sports watch today?" Tae interrupted randomly, and Yoongi blinked at the seeming non-sequitur-

Oh, the one that lights up.

But Jimin was already replying, "Sorry, I was shaking my head, but I forgot you can't see. Nope- no watch."

From the darkness, Taehyung suddenly hissed, actual pain lacing his voice- but before either Yoongi or Jimin could question he spoke "I'm okay! I'm- sorry, I just touched it-"

"Well, don't touch it! Really Tae, you scared me-" Jimin scolded.

Yoongi concurred, but also added, "And for god's sake, Stop. Moving. I can hear you fidgeting from here!"

"How do you know it's even me!" Taehyung argued petulantly, and Yoongi scoffed; repeatedly doing something he'd been told not to do?

Kim Taehyung.

There was nothing for it; he was going to have to move- get to his bag and find his phone. He had to deal with Taehyung before the younger actually did end up with a stabby bit in his foot because he was contrary like that.

Yoongi was legitimately worried about that stabby bit, though. He'd felt the way the glasses had dropped from his hands, heard the strangely hollow thud as they'd first hit the ground before they'd shattered immediately after-

Maybe he could shuffle, sort of slide his feet along? Although that still didn't solve the problem of the possibility of glass shards all over his bag- if he could even find it in the dark.

The quiet rustle of fabric was loud in the silence and Yoongi snapped out sharply, "Kim Taehyung! "

"What?! It's not me! Why do I always-" Taehyung whined, the complaint accompanied by more rustling that Yoongi matched with the sounds of peevish arm crossing.

"Oh, I don't know, not because you keep moving!? And uncross your arms- I'm trying to help you, so don't get sassy. " Yoongi reprimanded, reaching out to get a distance on the kitchen bench and check which direction he had to move in.

Taehyung scoffed, "I'm not! They're not crossed! It's dark, you can't even see- How would you even-"

Soft golden light bathed over them, illuminating Jimin; one leg up behind him arabesque style for balance, upper body stretched out horizontally as far as he could reach, the small bar fridge door pulled open beneath his grasping fingers, spilling its interior light into the room.

And Taehyung; with his arms crossed.


The room around them was still a disaster of broken glass, which Yoongi felt terrible about and desperately wanted to clean up, but knew it was an impossibility in the dark. They'd decided to stick a warning sign on the door.

Yoongi (still exasperated and overly indulgent, he blamed sleep deprivation) was gently poking and prodding, inspecting the tiny cut for any additional or broken off shards.

Taehyung, (still pouty at having been caught in a lie) slumped further onto the meticulously wiped down table top, one bare foot grasped between Yoongi's careful hands.

Jimin, (still puffed up like a little ball of gleeful satisfaction at having solved the problem) in his appointed 'light bearer' role, held Yoongi's phone as a makeshift spotlight for the first aid ministrations, occasionally patting Taehyung on the head when the younger flinched.

The phone vibrated, and Yoongi glanced at the screen; his stomach dropped, ice crawling into his veins and crystalizing his blood.

Incoming call: Seokjin-hyung.