It's very common to wake to Hoseok’s distinct screaming and Taehyung’s boisterous laugh, Jin’s squeaking laughter that sounds like windshield wipers and Namjoon and Yoongi’s bickering, but what isn’t common is waking to a nearly silent dorm.
Jeongguk is typically the last to wake, so it’s a surprise when he wakes before dawn and before anyone else when the dorm is still and quiet, peaceful. He’s wide awake, even though he hardly got any sleep the previous night from their schedules running late, but he’s awake and he doesn't know why. He hasn’t been able to sleep well recently, not since Taehyung started to avoid him.
Well, not outright avoid him, but he doesn’t look Jeongguk in the eyes as long, and he definitely doesn’t approach him if there are no other members around. He wonders if he said something wrong, if he somehow made Taehyung uncomfortable, but whenever he tries to bring it up, Taehyung bolts up and stutters something about being late, or having to do something that he forgot about.
It’s infuriating, to say the least.
Jeongguk is an awkward person, but not with the members. He knows he can always be himself and not be afraid, but he can’t help but wonder if he went too far with Taehyung, or if there’s a part of him that Taehyung doesn’t like. He doesn't know, but it’s been swimming in his head for weeks now.
He sits up with a sigh, eyes trailing over the lump that is Namjoon, curled up in a cocoon of blankets, and realizes that he won’t be going back to sleep anytime soon.
It’s when he’s sitting up, stretching his arms over his head, that he hears it.
Hoseok screams, a short, distinct one that sounds very panicked and very scared, not at all like his usual noises, and Namjoon jolts beside him, the sound like an alarm in their ears. Jeongguk doesn’t bother to pull on pants, stumbling out of his bed in nothing but boxers and yanks open the door, Seokjin at his door as well, eyes wide.
“What was that?” He rasps out, voice still thick with sleep, and Seokjin just shakes his head, eyebrows knit together.
Jimin’s panicked voice can be heard through the thin walls, something about calming down and to not wake everyone up, but Jeongguk is tailing Seokjin to the shared room of Jimin, Hoseok, and Taehyung, Namjoon making his way across the dorm and joining them two, concern evident on his face.
Seokjin doesn’t bother to knock, opening the door quickly, mouth open to ask what’s wrong, but the sight before them has all of them stopping in their tracks, eyes wide and jaws clicking open in pure shock.
“What the fuck?” Seokjin hisses and Jimin shushes him, eyes blown and orange hair a complete mess.
Between Hoseok and Jimin’s bodies, asleep on Taehyung’s bed is a small, squishy child.
A child. A fucking baby.
Jeongguk faintly wonders if he’s still dreaming.
“Why the fuck is there a kid in your room?” Namjoon questions like he’s not really surprised, and Hoseok throws his hands up.
“I don’t fucking know. I literally woke up to this two seconds ago, don't ask me,” Hoseok hisses back, eyes wild, and Jeongguk comes to a dizzying realization.
“Where’s Tae?” Jeongguk’s sharp voice cuts through their conversation, and Jimin’s eyes go wider, if possible. “Jimin, where is he?”
“Don’t ask me! We all went to bed like we usually do, I saw him—he didn’t sneak out. And why would there be a kid in place of him, huh?”
“Guys,” Jeongguk says, “Guys, turn him over.”
Seokjin shoots him a surprised look, and Hoseok looks faintly scandalized.
