thick as thieves || bts x mamamoo

eighteen;

Wheein accidentally runs into someone on her way out of the ship's head, bowing in apology and looking up at the other with bleary, tired eyes. "Ah, sorry about that."

"You're fine!" the other chirps, a bit too enthusiastic considering the sun has yet to even rise. Wheein had all but stumbled and blindly felt her way down the hallway from her shared quarters with Hyejin before finding the bathroom in the dark. "No one's usually awake before me around here."

She squints to try and discern who exactly she's speaking to. "I- Hyejin woke me with her sleep talking and I had to use the restroom anyways. Are you... Hoseok-ssi?"

"That's me!" Hoseok, or rather what little of his faint outline in the dark that Wheein can make out, seems to lean over to peer at her. "Say, Wheein-ah, did you have trouble using the soap in the sink just now?"

"... What?"

"I- you know what? Nevermind." Hoseok chuckles to himself before sliding past her in the hallway. "I'm heading to the helm to relieve Taehyung from his shift after I use the restroom if you would like to see him."

Wheein blinks in surprise. "He's- he's awake?"

Hoseok nods. "We rotate watch shifts to prevent unexpected attacks in the dead of night. Taehyung and I tend to spend our shifts at the helm to ensure we're on course. Wait here, I'll be right out and we can head over."

And with that, he shuts the door to the ship's head close. Wheein leans against the hallway walls sleepily, almost lulled back to sleep with the ship's gentle rocking, but is immediately startled back into consciousness as Hoseok all but bursts back out with far too much energy and grabs her by the wrist to pull her back up to the main deck and towards the ship's helm.

When they emerge from the depths of the ship, Wheein can't help but take in a deep breath of the salty sea air around them and smile at the gentle breeze that lightly blows some of her hair around. The town she and Hyejin had grown up was one on an island, so the sea has essentially been all they have really ever known. While they had never gotten the privilege of setting foot onto a boat until they had met Byulyi and Yongsun, somehow, being surrounded by the endless waters around them felt right, felt like home.

Hoseok seems to notice her momentary pause as they step onto the main deck and lets his hold on her go. "I'll just head to the helm and send Taehyung down."

"Ah, thank you," Wheein nods and throws him a little wave. "Have a good shift."

Hoseok smiles back at her so brightly it's almost as though the sun has risen already. "I shall! I'll see you later then."

Once he's disappeared elsewhere, Wheein takes the time to turn and look out at the shimmering expanse of water before her. Just beyond the horizon, the sky is painted in wispy strokes of purple and red and orange as the sun begins to rise, a masterpiece she rarely gets the chance to see due to her love of sleeping in late.

Awestruck by the view before her, she doesn't become aware of the presence of someone approaching her from behind until there is a pair of arms wrapping gently around her torso and tugging her back against their chest.

"Absolutely beautiful," comes Taehyung's breathless whisper, so quiet if he hadn't been speaking right next to her ear she might've missed it.

Wheein can't help but nod in agreement. "The sunrise is gorgeous."

Taehyung tilts her chin up with a finger so she is looking up at him. Despite the silly upside-down view of his face, she finds herself looking away shyly as he stares intently at her facial features, almost as though memorizing every possible dip and curve of her face. Out of the corner of her eyes, she sees his lips quirk up into a slight smirk and just like their very first encounter, he says, "I was talking about you."