Even though it hadn't been long since I ate, I could have downed an entire buffet of food if it were available. I recognized Jin, who Namjoon had called on to preparemy first meal, setting small bowls of noodles in front of the five other men who lounged around the unit. He grabbed two more, bringing them over as Namjoon and I approached.

"I need to talk to Jungkook for a minute. I'll be right back." Namjoon said, stepping away and leaving Jin and I searching for the first words to say to each other.

"I'm Alena, thanks again for the food." I looked up at him with the best smile I could manage, taking notice of his striking features, undeniably handsome but with a roundness that was reflected at the puffy skin under his lashes, full lips, and tip of his nose.

He leaned over, dropping his chin in a gracious bow. "Of course, let's find somewhere to sit." He offered. "I know there's a lot of us but I hope we can make you feel comfortable."

I couldn't stop myself from listening in on the small scolding Namjoon fired at Jungkook as they talked at the outer edge of the group.

"Come on Namjoon, they had to die. I stand on that." Jungkook remained confident as he defended his actions with their leader. It wasn't difficult to conclude that he spoke of the prisoners.

Namjoon tried to keep his voice low, putting a hand on Jungkook's shoulder as he spoke. "I'm not disagreeing with you, but you were too impulsive. We have to save bullets and keep quiet, hauling off and shooting them doesn't help us. We would have done it, but in another way." Namjoon reassured him.

"I'm sorry." Jungkook sighed, the small droop at the corners of his mouth giving him a childlike frown.

I turned my attention back to the rest of the group, taking a seat on the other side of Jin just as Namjoon and Jungkook filled in the open space among us, creating a small circle that allowed me to take in the seven men before me.

Namjoon was the first to speak, his deep, powerful voice capturing our attention while  we ate. "Okay, I'm glad we were able to move into this unit. I know everyone is feeling relieved that we have a place to settle again, but for that to really happen we need to get to work. I want to go over our tasks for tomorrow, but first let me introduce Alena to everyone." He started, all eyes falling to me. Aware of the nerves I was feeling, he moved on quickly, introducing each man within the circle while I made small observations so that I could remember their names.

Hobi, who I recalled as the second pair of eyes I met after Namjoon's when they found me, sent me the brightest smile I'd ever seen. I noted the way he was never still, his foot tapping and hands moving animatedly at every moment.

Next to him sat Taehyung, the wavy-haired guy with a stare and beauty so intense that it could initially come off as intimidating. I realized as he balanced his bowl on his lap rather than holding it up as he ate that his right arm had been removed, a metal covering attached to the middle of his forearm.

Jungkook's expression remained serious as Namjoon gave an official introduction, and he seemed to be avoiding eye contact, focusing on quickly eating his food. His hair framed his face in a way that was naturally beautiful, with dark locks that fell to his cheekbones and masked the corners of his round eyes, hiding the cheer of their doe-y shape.

To Namjoon's other side sat Jimin, who kneeled as he ate, peering up with a look the opposite of Taehyung's, the most sweet and gentle set of eyes in the room, alluring and inviting in every way.

Yoongi finally looked up from my other side when his name was called, turning to me so that I could see his face for the first time. It'd be a lie to say that I didn't immediately notice the deep scar that stretched from above his eyebrow to the middle of his cheek, a near straight line that healed in red. His stark expression was a contrast to his features, icy skin and a perfect Cupid's bow that reminded me of a porcelain doll.

They didn't force me to talk, giving short acknowledgements before Namjoon turned his attention to business. "I need everyone to have the map of the prison and grounds memorized. Yoongi and I will head down to work on the generator first thing tomorrow. We have more corpses to burn, but let's make sure to keep the fire as low as possible. Jin I know you're excited to start looking at the grounds more so do another sweep for security of the fences. Once we know the prison, we'll work our way through clearing the sections that the undead are packed into." He wasn't short of breath or tasks, only stopping when Jin interrupted.

"Isn't that enough for tomorrow?" He joked, a few of the others laughing along with him.

"Fine, let's meet for a few minutes tomorrow morning to confirm everyone's tasks." He responded, the group nodding in agreement.

I wondered where I'd find myself tomorrow, Jin leaning over to me as he sensed the overwhelming feeling of the debrief plaguing me. "Don't worry, if Namjoon is good at anything, it's making sure he has a plan. He'll have one for teaching you too."

They picked up with separate conversations, creating a light chatter in the room while I kept quiet, basking in the first moment that I hadn't felt afraid of the noise that filled my ears since it all started.

Namjoon checked in on me one more time before bed, everyone heading into the separate cells they claimed once we finished dinner. With no more sunlight to shine through the small windows close to the ceiling, the unit was nearly pitch black. I closed my eyes but was unable to sleep, my mind whirling with the events of the past two months.

I sat up at the sound of another person nearby, Jungkook stepping to the door of my cell with enough noise that I wouldn't be startled. "I heard you tossing and turning." His dark clothes would have camouflaged him if not for his fair complexion. "I need to apologize, if I scared you when we first saw you."

I thought back to the moment he squatted in front of me and the visceral reaction he had. I imagine he'd been scary to the prisoners just seconds before shooting them, but it was the first time I felt undoubtedly protected and safe.

"You didn't. Thank you, for what you did." I wondered how I could make it up to him, my mere expression seeming unworthy.

He pondered his response. "Is there anything else I can do?"

Though I initially shook my head, there was one feeling I wanted to get rid of, the tightness in my chest that made breathing with ease a challenge. "It can wait until tomorrow, but I'd like to go outside. Fresh air would be nice." I requested, watching his lips spread into a bright smile that held a bit of mischief.

He lowered his voice more, turning his head to peer at the other cells and listen for noise. "I can take you now, but we'll have to be quiet. Namjoon is a light sleeper." He waited for me to stand from the bed before carefully pulling back the door to my cell, pausing when it creaked to make sure no one woke from the sound. He tugged it open just enough for me to slip through and held out a hand to guide me through the dark building.

He moved expertly even in the dark, light on his feet and sure to pause at every corner, listening for any unexpected noise. I could attest to him having the place memorized well, and when he stopped at a ladder that was secured to the wall my brow furrowed, suddenly feeling stupid for running off in the middle of the night with a guy I barely knew.

"I should mention before we go up that the air isn't exactly what you'd call fresh." He added before starting to climb the ladder, twisting the mechanism that opened to the rooftop with a loud clang.

I followed him up, the metal making more noise than it did with him, and he offered me his hand at the last few steps, pulling me onto the roof with ease. My nose turned up at the smell that sat in the air, the humidity mixing with an aroma of death that covered the earth.

Everything was different. As I stood near the edge of the rooftop with Jungkook looking out quietly beside me, I thought of how pointless everything had been. Stressing about adulthood, getting an education, and every relationship I built lost all of its meaning in the new world. There were no more bills to pay, no more diagnoses to make, and everyone I loved was probably dead.

"Talk about something." My breathing quickened with my thoughts.

"What?" He replied, his brow pulled together as he took in the change in my body language.

I looked down, stretching my neck to see the distance to the ground from where we stood. "I need you to talk about something, distract me. I know you want to keep me safe for some reason, and right now my mind might be more dangerous than anything beyond those fences." I confessed.

He grabbed my hand, keeping me in a firm hold that I knew served to stop me from stepping over the edge. "Do you want to know how seven Korean boys ended up here in Virginia in the middle of an apocalypse?"

I let out a genuine chuckle, the question being one that crossed my mind over dinner. "Definitely." I answered, sitting across from him as he recounted their journey.