Archive of Our Own ^beta

Seokjin’s uncle’s strawberry farm has always been their private safe place since they were younger. And no one really knows how the subject came up between them, all they remember is that it turned out to be a tradition between the seven of them: during the first week of every summer, they’d get together at the farm and would forget about the rest of the world. 

No wi-fi connection, cellphones, or laptops were allowed — neither one of them could work, study or think about anything else that was worrying them from the moment the seven of them were together on the farm. There was their free space, their only one heaven, and where they could be themselves freely. And, just like the lyrics to that one Jason Mraz song, they make it easier when life gets hard. And it’s surprising how the tradition kept going as they grew older into their thirties. 

Seokjin and Yoongi were the first ones to move away, they left for Daegu to work as professors at a university there right after they finished their master’s degree — both of them were already incredible professionals at two different High Schools in Seoul. But the salary was better in Daegu and it was a unique chance for them — so, they couldn’t say no. They rented a small two-bedroom house close to a beautiful park and remained living together. Their family and friends never asked a thing.

Secondly, Taehyung and Jeongguk had a small wedding party with their friends and considered themselves married, even though South Korean laws haven’t legalized same-sex marriage yet. Then, a year later, they moved to Busan so that Taehyung could work as a marine biologist to fulfill his degree, they got themselves an apartment and Jeongguk soon found himself a job at a local gym. 

Namjoon, Jimin, and Hoseok were the ones who stayed behind in Seoul to make their dream come true. They started from zero and opened a small dance academy in the garage of the house that Namjoon’s grandma left them. Jimin was a great contemporary dancer, Hoseok's style was more focused on street dancing, hip-hop, and freestyle, and with Namjoon having just finished his business mastering, they struggled together to make a living for themselves.

Of course, it wasn't easy in the beginning. They were too used to being close to each other, just a few rooms or doors away, and when things would get too much, they'd get together in Jimin's and Hoseok's shared bedroom and cuddle together.  And the first thing they feared was losing their strawberry dates. 

But that, obviously, did not happen. 

In the first summer that came after they were set apart, Hoseok, Namjoon, and Jimin were the very first ones to arrive at the farm since they were the closest to Incheon. All of them had keys to the place, which was always empty in the last week of June — their set date to visiting the farm. The three of them were worried and nervous about the other four not showing up, and they almost cried at the sight of Yoongi, Seokjin, Taehyung, and Jeongguk arriving at the front gates, with their carriers in their hands, because they had stumbled upon each other at the train station. It stayed like that for years. 

And on one of those dates, Taehyung and Jeongguk are the first to arrive early in the morning. It has been only a few hours since dawn and Taehyung yawns while trying to open the lock on the gate, his husband stays back in the car, tapping the steering wheel with his fingertips while he waits. Since they decided on driving from Busan to Incheon by car, they ended up leaving shortly after Taehyung came home from work the night before. Everything was already packed and ready for their yearly trip.

The couple was so eager to meet the other five soon since neither one of the dates they had settled to have some coffee or just hang out together worked that year. All of them were too busy with their own lives and schedules, and it saddened Taehyung a bit to see Jeongguk smiling at their hyungs through video calls, and then hear him saying that he missed being with them personally, face-to-face like it used to be in the past. Of course, Taehyung feels the same, but he always feels like he has to be the strongest between the two of them.

Taehyung moves to the side to let Jeongguk drive the car through the gates, he yawns again and feels his eyes watering. He hates sleeping on car trips, so he hasn’t batted an eye since yesterday night and he's more tired from working full-time, while Jeongguk's shift at the gym had only lasted until noon. And as soon as he sees the vehicle being parked, Taehyung walks down the unpaved road, carefully closing the gate behind him, and goes to meet his husband, who is unpacking the trunk of the car.

As always, the main house is empty and the footsteps of the two echo through the rooms as they climb up the stairs to the guest room — where the seven always stay when they are there at the farm. And it was funny how Seokjin's uncle never asked why the hell they have three double beds together, forming a giant bed in the middle of that average, medium-sized bedroom. 

The first thing Taehyung realizes is that the room is very clean and with fresh sheets, he doesn't need to turn on the lights because of the sunlight coming in through the open windows, but he ends up turning on the fan as soon as he leaves his suitcase lying on the floor. The heat of the newly arrived summer is already getting to him. His shoulders feel too heavy and he is more sleepy than before he entered the room because of the white noise of the fan.

His eyes go to Jeongguk, who is dragging the suitcase with difficulty because he has put more things than he should've in there. Taehyung shakes his head and rubs his eyes, he wouldn’t complain to Jeongguk so early in the morning after such a long trip. Especially about something he had already spoken to him about.

“Don’t you want to take a shower before sleeping?” Jeongguk asks, taking off his bomber jacket and letting his arms tattoos on show. Taehyung still doesn’t understand how he manages to wear long sleeves during summer.

“No,” Taehyung mumbles under his breath, already tucking himself inside the white blankets and closing his eyes. “Sleepy.”

Jeongguk muffles a laugh and takes off his ripped jeans, kneeling on the mattress to lie beside Taehyung. That had been a long trip and they were tired, so he just hugs his husband from behind and closes his eyes, Taehyung snuggles himself in his arms, and both of them doze off in a matter of minutes.

It's mid-afternoon when Taehyung feels himself waking up. There's a pair of lips kissing his forehead, and then his cheeks and the tip of his nose, he opens his eyes slowly and meets with Yoongi's gummy smile and half-closed eyes. Taehyung gets surprised, half because he's alone in the bedroom, and the other half because the first thing Yoongi does is kissing his lips tenderly, it's slowly and almost just like a peck, but it makes Taehyung's heart race like ever.

“Hi,” Yoongi murmurs, touching the younger's cheeks, their eyes still closed. “They asked me to wake you up.”

Taehyung grumbles, causing Yoongi to fall lying beside him on the bed, he lets out a silent laugh and throws his leg over the smaller body of the older one to keep him closer to his. “Don't wanna get up, here’s comfy. And you’re warm.”

“Seokjin hyung and Jeonggukie are making jjajangmyeon and other foods downstairs,” Yoongi stares at Taehyung's sleepy face, one of his hands caress his brownish bangs and watch as he opens his eyes, blinking slowly. “And I bought kimchi and chicken from a restaurant nearby when I was passing by with hyung.”

He pouts and looks at the clock in the corner of the room, reading the hours which says that it's past three o'clock in the afternoon. He feels more rested than in the morning, but that mattress is so soft and Yoongi is stroking his hair so gently that Taehyung feels like he could easily fall asleep again.

“No sleeping again,” Yoongi pats his butt, pecking him on the lips for one last time. “C'mon, you must be hungry. Jeonggukie told me you two didn't have breakfast when you got here.”

Still groaning, Taehyung lifts his body from the bed, having Yoongi pull the blankets off him in a matter of seconds. He scratches his hair, trying to fix the messy sleepy wavy that it had. 

After curling up a bit and being poked in the corner of his waist by Yoongi, Taehyung finally gets up from the bed and puts his feet on the cold floor. Yoongi stretches out his hand and kisses his cheek.

“I'll wait for you downstairs with the others, I think Seokjin hyung hasn't figured out how to open the chicken package yet,” Yoongi wiggles his eyebrows, and Taehyung nods, watching him walk out of the room while leaving the door open.

After picking up a toothbrush from his suitcase, Taehyung goes into the bathroom and washes his face, trying to get rid of his puffy and sleepy face caused by the long hours he slept. He brushes his teeth and leaves his hair as it is, giving up on making it look better without a hairbrush, but he looks at his reflection in the mirror finding it funny how he has some wrinkles around his eyes which give out his age, and how his skin is more tanned than before because of his constant work on Busan’s beaches and aquariums.

He leaves the toothbrush in the bathroom and hurries down the stairs, the smell of food being prepared reaches his nostrils and he feels his stomach rumbling. Taehyung immediately regrets not having eaten anything before going to sleep, the bitter taste on his tongue makes him think that, but he smiles when he sees Seokjin staring at Yoongi putting a glass of milk in the microwave, while Jeongguk is seeing if the rice is ready. And he notices how his husband is still wearing just underwear and a t-shirt, and the other two are in casual clothes.

Taehyung’s first reaction is to go to the oldest of the four and hug him from behind, making him jump on his place from the surprise. But soon Seokjin realizes that it's Taehyung who's there and turns his body to hug him back. They're almost the same height, with just a few inches of difference, but Seokjin's shoulders are much wider and make Taehyung look smaller whenever they're close to each other.

“I missed you,” he whispers against Seokjin’s chest and both of them smile, but before anyone else could mention anything, Jeongguk’s phone starts to ring, and then he turns off the stove, running to the living room to pick it up. 

Seokjin takes his hand up to Taehyung's chin, making him open his eyes, and gives him a chaste kiss on his lips before then pressing his noses together. Yoongi laughs quietly in the corner of the kitchen and goes back to cutting the onions he was holding.

“Do you want some snacks? I brought several from the train ride, they were all free and I paid dearly for the tickets,” Seokjin offers, knowing that Taehyung must be more hungry than the other three. Jeongguk had already eaten a packet of chips and Yoongi and he had had lunch at the train station a few hours ago.

“I was so embarrassed at you, Seokjin hyung, the attendants were staring!” Yoongi complains, almost cutting his finger with the sharp knife for a second. “And it wasn't because you have a pretty face.”

“And why else would it be? I paid for the ticket, I have the right to all the snacks I want.” Seokjin looks at him side-eyed, judging the other putting his injured finger in his mouth.

 Seokjin takes his arms from around Taehyung's body just to get a packet of cookies from the nearest cabinet and hands them to Taehyung. “It will take a little while for the food to be ready, so no problem with eating a little something.”

Taehyung shakes his head, thanking him quietly before sitting down at the kitchen counter. He crosses his legs and opens the package, but before taking one of the cookies to his mouth, his eyes go to Jeongguk, who is at the kitchen door with an unsatisfying expression, his brows are together and his lips are crisped, and the three of them notice when he pulls his tongue against the inner side of his cheeks. The cell phone is still in his hands and soon the other two are also staring at it and then looking back to Jeongguk.

“It was Namjoon hyung,” Jeongguk sighs, placing the device in his pocket. “He said he canceled a meeting to come here because we are more important than some boring businessmen and that he's already on the bus to get here, but... Hoseok hyung and Jimin hyung are stuck in a dance competition and he doesn't know if they will be able to come today. It looks like some of the performances were delayed and they are thinking of continuing them tomorrow... And the hyungs are the only representatives of their dance academy, the other teachers went to another city for another important competition.”

The four exchange a worried look and the kitchen’s air looks heavy. The microwave beeps and Yoongi swallows dry. None of them likes the idea of being just part of them — without Jimin and Hoseok there. Their strawberry date is something important for them since always, and they only go to the part of the plantations of the farm to pick the berries when they are all together.

Their tradition is to pick up fresh strawberries, wash all of them, and make strawberry cake and pies while talking about their lives — what they're doing differently, what are the good news, and whatever comes to their mind. Most of the time, Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok, and Jeongguk are the ones doing the cooking, while the other three are on cleaning duty.

But, after Jeongguk tells them that, Seokjin is the first to sigh in frustration, he turns to the stove without really knowing what he needs to do. Jeongguk settles beside his husband, who offers him one of the cookies, feeling his stomach growling again. Yoongi opens the microwave door, picking up the milk and handing it to Taehyung after he has finished making the hot chocolate. None of them knew very well what to say, this was the first year that there was a serious concern that two of them would be missing at a special time for the seven.

Sure, there was their first year being apart, but that was more about insecurities than a real situation. And now — well. Now it's real-life being louder and tougher than their thoughts and wishes.

“I don't know what to do," Taehyung confesses after taking a sip of his drink and turns to face Jeongguk. “I... don't want to be here without the two of them. Did Namjoon hyung mention anything else?”

“Only that Jimin hyung and Hoseok hyung said that even though they're not sure that they can't make it today, we're supposed to enjoy it until they arrive, but…” Jeongguk takes a deep breath, squeezing his husband's covered thigh. “It's kind of disappointing, the tradition is a week. Not just five or four days.”

“We know, Ggukie, but…” Seokjin starts but ends up stumbling on his words. “What can we do? Work is work, it is important, they cannot leave their students because of a tradition. This is just... Something badly planned by the contest organizers, and every dance academy must have been having a hard time because of it. Hoseok has complained several times about that company, but they need it to grow.”

We’re important, too, it's what Jeongguk thinks immediately, but the words disappear on his tongue and he bites his cheek. “I know, hyung, I'm just upset,” he lowers his shoulders, and Taehyung purses his lips. “I like it when it’s all of us together.”

It's sad to see Jeongguk so down like that at the thought of not having all seven together for the first time that year.  And it's not like they think they aren't enough, they know how Jeongguk is feeling and, although they are better at hiding, they also feel the same way.

“We know, bun,” Yoongi blinks in his direction. “There’s still a chance that they’re coming, so… let’s not think sad thoughts before being sure, okay?”

Even though he's disgruntled, Jeongguk nods, trying to smile a little. Taehyung and Yoongi exchange a look but say nothing, and Simba appears running in the middle of the kitchen, wagging his tail and jumping on Seokjin's legs, who almost drops a pot on the floor because of the size of the dog.

“I think he likes you too much, hyung,” Taehyung says in a joke, lifting one of the cookies to his lips, and he's also trying to change the subject of their casual conversation. “Or he likes the stew you are making.”

“I bet on the second option,” Seokjin twirls his eyebrows. “My uncle said he left his food in the living room, I think Simba hasn't eaten today yet because he's alone at the house since yesterday.”

“Oh, poor thing,” Taehyung murmurs, jumping off the counter and knowing that Seokjin should be sending a signal to distract Jeongguk with the dog. “Come on, baby, let's feed him and let the hyungs finish the food.”

Jeongguk leaves his cell phone on the table and calls the dog lovingly, stroking his ears as they follow Taehyung into the room. The older man fills his mouth with the rest of the cookies in the package and stands on his tiptoe to reach the feed jar inside the cupboard.

“Who's a good boy?” Jeongguk says in a childish voice, making Simba wag his tail and bark loudly in response, the dog jumps with his paws hitting the human's belly, and Jeongguk laughs, crouching down to be the size of the animal. “Yes, you are a good boy. The best of all dogs.”

It's a cute sight, Jeongguk playing with Seokjin's uncle's golden retriever, and Taehyung smiles as he fills Simba's pot and puts the package back in the cupboard. He sees that the water pot is also empty and mumbles to Jeongguk that he will be back in a minute. He finds it funny how the dog had not gone up to their room to sleep with them both in the morning, usually, Simba likes to do that. But he is getting old.

Once Taehyung comes back to the living room, he leaves Simba’s water next to him and sits near Jeongguk on the couch, who’s watching the dog eating enthusiastically. He must’ve been hungry all this time. 

“Do you wanna adopt a dog back home?”, Taehyung suggests out of nowhere and Jeongguk casts a confused look at him. “But it would have to be small, I don’t think our building accepts big dogs.”

“Are you being serious?”

“Of course, baby,” Taehyung lays his head on his shoulder. “We'd have a child of our own to take care of. Don't you want that?”

“Oh my god, Seokjin hyung, Taehyung, and Jeongguk are talking about having kids,” Yoongi's voice pops up out of nowhere through the living room, and the two glance over at him. “Seokjin hyung! They’re beating us to it! I told you that we should get a cat last month!”

Seokjin's loud laugh echoes through the whole house, and he calls Yoongi a dummy for mocking their dongsaengs. But Yoongi just shakes his shoulders and walks to the first-floor bathroom. Taehyung chuckles, touching his husband's arm.

“Uhm? What do you think, baby?” Taehyung asks again, making Jeongguk pout his lower lip while thinking. “I have a few coworkers that work as volunteers at a shelter in Busan, and I can talk with them once we get back.”

“I think that's a great idea, hyungie,” he smiles, holding onto Taehyung's hand. “I've always wanted a puppy.”

And once Taehyung's lips turn into a small smile and he kisses him on the mouth quickly, Simba jumps on the sofa and barks at them for attention. Jeongguk gives him an ugly eye and watches Taehyung moving his torso to play with the dog, leaving him wanting more. 

“Now he's a bad boy, he's stealing my husband,” Jeongguk crosses his arms in front of his chest, and Taehyung rolls his eyes dramatically, catching the joke in the younger's voice. “I don't like bad boys.”

Simba barks again, crawling into Taehyung's lap and licking his face while he laughs, caressing the dog's fur at the same time Yoongi comes out of the bathroom and sits by Jeongguk's left side, letting his head lying on his thigh. 

Different from other houses, the TV in front of them only works with a DVD player, so it keeps them away from the news from the outside world and gives them more time to enjoy each other's company, without any interference from the outside.

They're too focused on playing with Simba, so they almost miss the front door opening and Namjoon walking into the house with a backpack in his hands. But the dog is the first one to notice his presence there, he leaps off the couch to run to him. 

“Hyung!” Jeongguk calls him out, watching Namjoon smiling at Simba and patting his head after leaving his backpack on the floor. 

“Hi, Jeonggukie,” Namjoon answers, hugging him tightly while having his dimples kissed by the younger man. He giggles from the tickles and pecks his pouted lips. “I missed you too.”

And, of course, Taehyung and Yoongi are also there waiting to greet him with all their love and longing. They share light kisses and warm hugs, and Seokjin comes from the kitchen after hearing the stranger noises in the other room. He’s all smiles and glowing eyes when he sees Namjoon, but because of his cooking gloves and food on the stove, he doesn't stay much and runs back to see if it is finally ready. 

Namjoon doesn't last long in the middle of that warm welcome, Seokjin calls them from the kitchen right away, saying that they should go get something to eat. The newcomer goes to leave his backpack in the bedroom and the other three take turns to wash their hands before going to the kitchen.  Taehyung and Yoongi help Seokjin put all the dishes on the table and Jeongguk looks for something to drink in the refrigerator.

There are beer, soda, and orange juice displayed on the table alongside the food. Taehyung's stomach growls for the nth time that day and he's the first to sit down, without waiting for Namjoon to get there. 

Between laughs at Seokjin's silly jokes, Jeongguk filling his cheeks with good, Taehyung eating everything from the table, Yoongi trying to battle the spicy sauce of the chicken, and Namjoon complaining about how uncomfortable his bus seat was, they try to forget their worries about the probability of Hoseok and Jimin not being able to join them on the settled day. 

But as the night falls and they're all cuddled up in the living room, watching a romantic comedy movie from Hollywood, they start to feel like something is missing there. The lack of Hoseok's loud laugh at the funny parts of the movie and Jimin's complaining at how there are only straight couples in the scenes, make them miss both of them even more.

Jeongguk and Namjoon are lying on the couch, chewing on some popcorn while the other three are clinging onto each other on a mattress on the floor. The movie is nice, but half of them end up falling asleep quickly, different from the two youngest that had slept throughout the whole day before. So, they're the only ones who actually end up finishing watching the movie.

It’s past nine o'clock when Taehyung gets up from the mattress, he sees Jeongguk stroking Namjoon's hair and asks if he also wants a cup of tea. The younger nods positively, to not wake their hyungs up, and Taehyung walks to the kitchen, putting a kettle full of water to boil. And in the meantime, he goes to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

Once he comes back, holding two mugs of tea and sits at the edge of the mattress, Taehyung turns off the DVD player and the TV, being careful to not dirty the sheets. Simba is sleeping peacefully on the smaller couch and doesn't even care about the humans on the floor. 

“Did Jiminie and Hoseok hyung called? Or texted?” Taehyung asks, lowering his voice. 

“No, not yet,” Jeongguk sighs and takes a sip from his tea. “And it's getting late. I don't think they're coming today.”

Taehyung crisps his lips, almost burning out his tongue with the hot tea. If they're not able to arrive there, they'd lose part of their yearly strawberry date and he doesn't know if they'll be able to meet after that week passes. With the dance academy growing a lot and getting to be known around Seoul and Incheon, Jimin, Hoseok, and Namjoon will be a lot busier for the years to come, Seokjin and Yoongi already have a lot on their plate with their students and Taehyung feels happy about them, they deserve all the happiness and success that they could get. 

But that doesn't make him not miss them all the time. Well, not only him, but every single one of them. 

Life changes as you get old, and you need to make choices on everything. And choices always mean that you have to let go of something, but they don't want to be apart from each other.

And it's weirdly funny how they seem to be living a twenty-first-century version of Brokeback Mountain — with the exception that neither one of them is fooling a partner or dying anytime soon. All they have is that strawberry farm right now. 

Taehyung closes his eyes for a second, putting the mug away as he lets his head pressed on Jeongguk's legs. He feels his husband's hand on his hair, letting his mind fly away from, his thoughts. The farm is silent despite the insects outside, and thankfully it's less hot than during the day, so they'll be able to sleep peacefully tonight. And Taehyung doesn't even notice when he falls asleep again.

“Tae? Tae?”, a calm voice calls his name, and Taehyung hums, not wanting to open his eyes. “You’ll wake up with an aching neck if you sleep like this.”

He’s still lost in dreamland, and takes his hand to rub his eyes, “Uhm?”

“C’mon, baby bear, we brought another mattress here,” a hand touches his shoulder carefully. “I know Jeongguk's thighs are comfy.”

Jeongguk's muffled laugh gets to his ears and Taehyung blinks, trying to open his eyes from the deep sleep he was in. “Jiminie?”

“Hi, Tae,” Jimin smiles, looking at his beautiful brown eyes. “I didn't want to wake you up, but Jeongguk couldn't move and if we tried to change your position the others are going to wake up too.”

“You’re here,” he practically ignores everything Jimin has just said, his eyes have a different type of shine and the first thing he does is hugging the other, who chuckles softly and pats his back. “You’re here!”

“Of course, Hoseok hyung is here,” Jimin murmurs, finishing the warm hug just to hold Taehyung's cheeks. He kisses his closed eyelids and Taehyung smiles. “We wouldn't miss our special place for anything in this life.”

Jeongguk has the silliest, and most loving look in his eyes at the sight of Jimin and Taehyung exchanging a kiss. His legs feel numb, but he doesn't care, he just moves out of the way and takes his place at the new mattress on the floor, Hoseok comes out quickly from the bedroom and hugs him from behind, putting his legs on top of Jeongguk's after letting his chin touch his shoulder. 

After Jimin and Taehyung lie beside the other two, the biologist notices on the clock hanging in the wall that's right before midnight. This means that they managed to get there before the day was over, and he has his eyes watering a bit just after he closes his lids, putting his arm around Hoseok's waist and feeling Jimin snuggling himself against his body, with his nose on Taehyung's nape.

So, for the first time that year, the seven of them are together again.

If they were asked to explain what they have, neither one of them would know how to put it into words. Love isn't explainable, and no one knows how it happens exactly. Each one of them loves the other in a different way, and it took them some time to finally understand what they felt towards each other.

Sure, it's not a common relationship, much less something that you'll see on TV. But it's theirs, it's their story, they work together and it's important to them, so it's all that matters. 

As always, Seokjin is the first one to wake up with Simba licking his cheeks. He frowns his nose and stares at the dog wagging his tail from the top of the couch. 

He shakes his head and sits on the mattress, looking at the six still deep asleep by his side. Before getting up, Seokjin gives his pillow to Namjoon to hug and walk to Simba's pot to feed him. The dog probably woke him up because he was feeling hungry, and he was the nearest to the smaller couch. 

Because of the noise, Hoseok wakes up second, scratching his head in confusion. His brows are joined together and he yawns before opening his eyes, he meets Seokjin's eyes while getting up and smiles, “Good morning, hyung.”

“Hi, Hoseokie,” he messes his hair. “Did you sleep well?”

“I always sleep well when I’m with you guys,” Hoseok confesses with his cheesiest voice, and Seokjin shakes his head. 

“You’re such a sap, Jung Hoseok,” Seokjin snaps his finger on the younger’s forehead. “Just because of that, you’ll help me with breakfast. They’ll wake up starving.”

Holding a muffled laugh, Hoseok follows him to the kitchen, scratching his back. They take a moment to decide what they'll eat, Yoongi and Taehyung end up waking up in the middle of it and decide to help as well. 

The air between them feels a lot lighter than before as if things work better whenever the seven of them are fully together. And as the minutes pass by, the others start to wake up with the noise and they get around the table to have breakfast, even Jimin who doesn't like waking up early. Simba's lying on Taehyung's feet, enjoying the feeling of being together with the seven of them.

“... and the parents of a few of the kids started to complain and they stayed until 10 pm holding the competition just to finish it within a day. It was a mess,” Jimin says dramatically, taking a bite of his rice. “We got second place, and during the ceremony of giving out medals, I told Hoseok hyung to run home and grab our stuff, because we were coming anyway! So, when everything ended, we rushed to the bus station and begged for two tickets to come to Incheon, the lady from the front desk was sleepy and wanted to kill us because of the mess we were making there... But we managed to get a ticket and when we got here, the four of you were sleeping and Jeonggukie was playing on his phone. He almost kicked Taehyungie in the ribs to get up and come to us. But we took a shower and then came down to sleep with you.”

“Hyung!” Jeongguk whines with his mouth-full. “He didn't need to know that.”

Taehyung squints, raises a knife, and looks in the direction of his husband, “If I were you, I would sleep with my eyes open, smart guy.”

Jeongguk swallows hard and Jimin laughs out loud, making everyone else laugh with him. Things are so casual that they don't seem to have been apart for so long, even with the news that Jimin, Hoseok, and Namjoon are going to open a branch of the dance academy in another neighborhood in Seoul and that they are moving to a bigger house. This was a last-minute decision, so they are the first ones to know about it.

As Jeongguk and Namjoon wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen, Seokjin and Yoongi start talking badly about the students they had during that semester — the worst classes they have ever given. The other three are in charge of tidying up the messy room and putting Simba out so that he won’t disturb the seven by wanting to play while they’re doing chores.

As soon as they finish putting everything in place, they go to change out of their pajamas and get ready to go to the strawberry plantation. All the ingredients needed to make the pie and cakes are in the cabinets, so all Yoongi and Seokjin take are two large baskets and follow the other five out of the house with Simba running after them.

Taehyung, like the biggest strawberry lover he is, is the first to arrive at the place and choose one of the strawberries among the leaves to eat. And he even closes his eyes because of the sweetness of the fruit. His shirt ends up being stained red, but nothing that a good wash doesn't solve. 

“Try this one, Tae,” Hoseok says, placing one of the strawberries between the youngest's lips, who bites the whole fruit at once. “Don't eat my finger!”

He laughs softly, wiggling his eyebrows before turning to pick up more berries and put them in Seokjin's basket, which is right next to him. Meanwhile, Namjoon and Jimin are by the trees, placing a picnic sheet underneath it, so they could have lunch outdoors. They had bought wine, some bread, and Hoseok cooked fish to eat along with instant rice, but everything is left perfectly packed until they finish picking up the strawberries.

All seven feel at home, with a familiar warmth inside their chests. And it's funny how Jimin and Hoseok end up biting a strawberry together, in the same way, that Namjoon gives Yoongi a smaller one, and Seokjin takes a picture of the two distracted.

“Look!” Jeongguk murmurs excitedly, lifting a strawberry between his fingers. “This one looks like a heart.”

Upon seeing that, Taehyung almost melts and picks up his camera that was hanging around his neck, telling Jeongguk to smile in his direction. He looks at the result of the photo and, before he can raise his face to show it to the others, Jeongguk grunts with Simba by scratching his bare legs.

“Ouch, Simba,” he complains, staring at the reddish bruises on his skin. “Your nails are too sharp.”

But the dog does not listen and continues to scratch his skin, and Jeongguk regrets immediately having chosen to wear shorts that day. He grimaces at the dog, putting the whole strawberry in his mouth, just to show him his tongue right after.

“See? It's just mine,” Simba scratches it again and Jeongguk gets angry, cutely wrinkling his nose in the eyes of his hyungs.

Jimin laughs watching the scene, Simba has fallen to the floor, thinking that Jeongguk wants to play with him by crouching down in front of him, so the dog is all paws up while the human is tickling his belly, barking at the animal.

“I can't believe he's fighting for dominance of territory with a dog,” Seokjin shakes his head, incredulous at the scene he saw. “And he is losing. Jeonggukie, do better!”

Taehyung tosses a small strawberry on his husband's head, who looks in his direction, “Shame on you, Jeongguk, poor Simba just wanted a strawberry.”

“We are best friends now,” Jeongguk says, frowning and stroking the dog's fur. “Aren’t we, Simba?”

The dog barks in response, still rolling over the grass, and Taehyung and Hoseok shake their heads, giving up on understanding Jeongguk and the dog. But soon, Namjoon joins him and the other five to pick up the strawberries again.

As soon as the two baskets are full, Hoseok gives them the idea of taking a picture together like they always do. So, Taehyung puts his camera on the timer option and leaves it between the branches of a tree after making sure the angle is good. He runs back to the other six and smiles, almost closing his eyes.

They leave some strawberries in a bowl on the picnic sheet and take the leftovers inside so they can make the sweets later. And when Namjoon comes back, the six of them are finishing packing their food on the floor — Simba was on the other side of the farm, behind a gate, so they wouldn't risk him stealing something he shouldn't from their bowls.

None of them could get the smile off their faces. And that was why that week is so important for the seven. It is, again, the moment they have to be themselves and not have to hide everything they feel from the rest of the world. They didn't imagine it would last that long, until then, it was just the end of their teens and the beginning of their young adult years, but as time went on, their relationship just got more serious and, well, more than ten years have passed now and they are still there, meeting each summer so that they can spend time together. 

The next day, early in the morning, the seven get ready to pack their beach items in an old backpack, as well as the cake and pie they had made together the night before to go to the nearest beach. It's only a ten minutes walk, so they don’t mind taking the car and they still take Simba with them. The dog is trained not to run, and responds to Seokjin's voice commands easily.

The day is hot, hotter than the previous one and that is perfect for a day at the beach. Normally, they don't leave the farm until seven days, but Jimin has been planting the idea of doing something different that year since they started arranging the right day that they would go to Seokjin's uncle's farm and, as no one could say no to Jimin’s cute kittenish eyes, everyone brought sunscreen and beach chairs from home.

Nobody wanted to risk listening to Taehyung's sermon after getting sunburns on the beach — the biologist always works under the sun, and is already familiar with how to survive without getting his skin burned. 

As soon as they arrive in a quiet place on the sand, a little away from the other families who are also enjoying that Sunday morning, Taehyung and Hoseok go out jogging together with Simba, Jeongguk and Jimin try to put up the giant umbrella that Seokjin brought and the others arrange the beach chairs and the cooler with beers and soda. 

The beach isn't that full, so it makes them feel more comfortable. Jimin’s the first one to lie down to take a sunbath after having Yoongi putting sunscreen on his back, Seokjin and Jeongguk decide to go into the water and have some fun first. 

“We should do this more,” Namjoon says, opening a can of beer underneath the umbrella. “Going on a trip, I mean, with a little bit of planning… I think we could make this work.”

“Seokjin hyung and I only can travel during summer break, Taehyung only takes a month off when Jeongguk begs him to get some rest… You, Hoseok and Jimin,” Yoongi hits him on the shoulder, making the younger take off his sunglasses to give him an ugly eye, but Yoongi doesn't even care and just grabs himself a can of beer from the cooler, “never stop working. It would be kinda complicated, Namjoonie.”

“I know, hyung,” he purses his lips after taking a sip from his drink. “What I mean is that we could have more than Seokjin hyung's strawberry farm. What if one day we get together at Taehyung's and Jeongguk's apartment? We could visit the beach, and there's Jimin's parents’ house beach, too, we could stay there. Or maybe in Seoul or Daegu, you know?”

“We got too used to only having that place, hyung,” Jimin murmurs, turning into his back to get some sun on the other side of his body. “Maybe we can talk about this on our last night here, what do you think? It can be a serious conversation and everyone gets to have an opinion about it.”

Yoongi and Namjoon share a look, the oldest of them seem to be a bit reluctant, but both of them nod, and Jimin smiles, putting his sunglasses back on his face. 

When Taehyung and Hoseok return, the older man throws himself on Yoongi, who complains about him being all sweaty and stinky from the run, which makes Jimin laugh and sit on the towel, he hands a bottle of water to Taehyung to give Simba, who's out of breath and then puts the glasses over his head. The two look hungry and it doesn't take long before Jeongguk and Seokjin return from the sea, waving their hair to get rid of the excess of salty water.

The pie and cake are still fresh, and Taehyung thanks the heavens for his grandma's old receipt that they had learned through the past few years. Hoseok buys them ice cream of different flavors, and they take some time to rest listening to the sound of the waves and of the birds singing around them. But it doesn't last much because Jeongguk has the idea of picking Yoongi up and running with him to the water, which makes all of his hyungs laugh from the older's frustration. 

They decide to leave before it's too late and before the tide goes up. Simba runs in front of them, excited about his day at the beach, and the seven seem tired while they discuss who will shower the dog — since he can't get inside the house all dirty with sand and salty water.

In the end, they come up with a plan after playing rock, paper, and scissors, and Namjoon and Seokjin end up being responsible for bathing Simba outside the house using the hose. The weather is still warm and the sun shines brightly in the sky, if they were not so tired, they would fill the pool and enjoy the rest of the day at the back of the farm.

Inside the house, Hoseok and Jimin are the first ones to go take a shower together while the other three stay in the kitchen, deciding what to cook for dinner. The pie and cake were completely gone, and the previous day's lunch and dinner too, so there was no way to reutilize anything. Yoongi suggests making carbonara noodles and fried chicken, which would be the quickest and least laborious of all the options they had — and because no one wants to eat ramen.

As the water boils, Jeongguk and Yoongi take Hoseok and Jimin's place and go take the sand off their skin, leaving Taehyung to chop up onions for the sauce. Seokjin and Namjoon show up soaked and with their hair pointing everywhere, and Simba comes right behind them, wagging his tail and completely dry, which makes the four of them laugh at the state of their hyungs, Jimin bends down to pet the golden retriever and Seokjin snorts, thinking he has dog shampoo in his eyes and beach sand in places he shouldn't have.

Namjoon just shakes his head, calling Seokjin to come and fix their condition in the shower. And Taehyung complains about always being the last one to be allowed to go take a shower, but Hoseok and Jimin will help him with the food and fill his cheeks with kisses, quieting him down.

“I think there's a little kimchi in the fridge,” Hoseok mumbles, biting the inner side of his cheeks as he walks over to the refrigerator. “And there are a few beers left in the cooler, but I think they are hot now. It is better to put them back on to freeze.”

“It will taste awful, hyung, they were cold before,” Jimin mutters, looking for another knife in the first drawer he sees. “You better throw it away, hyung.”

“I paid dearly for these beers, Jiminie,” Hoseok replies, taking the kimchi pack out of the fridge, “I won't throw it away.”

Jimin moves the knife between his fingers, “If you get a stomach ache, don't say I didn't warn you.”

Taehyung laughs softly, seeing that Jeongguk is entering the kitchen back and Yoongi is using the dryer in the living room. He doesn't think twice about finishing cutting the ingredients and running to the bathroom — the salt was starting to get uncomfortably dried on his skin, and even though he likes the beach, he doesn't think that being salty is something pleasant. 

And after dinner, when the moon is fixed in the dark sky, the seven gather in the garden in front of the farmhouse, sitting on the grass and looking at the stars. There are several bowls full of strawberries scattered among them, and even Simba is lying with his paws crossed, enjoying the less hot weather of that time.

Taehyung sighs, resting his head on Namjoon's shoulder, he stretches out his hand to pick up a strawberry and smiles when he feels the sweetness of the fruit on his lips. There is nothing better than eating strawberries on a summer night with the six men he loves — and Simba.

He looks to the side and notices that everyone else has a relieving expression on their faces, and Taehyung just knows that they’re feeling the same. Their happiest moments are when they are together, forgetting about the world outside the farm gates and just enjoying their time together. No one is taking that away from them.

(And, of course, they’ll obviously try to meet each other more during the year just like Namjoon said).