Chapter Text
"Congratulations to the graduating class of 2023!"
As everyone tossed their hats in the air as was the graduation custom, Taehyung pushed his way through the crowd of former students to find his best friend. "Jiminie!" He exclaimed, pulling the omega into a tight, congratulatory hug. "We did it! We're finally free!"
"Maybe you are!" Jimin laughed as he pulled out of Taehyung's embrace. "I still have grad school."
"And whose fault is that?" Taehyung retorted, tugging Jimin through the crowd to go meet up with his cousin, Namjoon, who had just been awarded his Master's, and then to find his parents and siblings.
When they reached his family, he was instantly pulled into a hug by his mother while his cousin greeted his boyfriend--read as started making out with his boyfriend in front of everybody--and his father held his phone out to Jimin, Jimin's only parents smiling happily on the screen. "Some people would like to talk to you." He chuckled as Jimin took the electronic.
"Thank you for Facetiming them." Jimin said to Taehyung's father before stepping to the side to talk to them, apologies from his parents for not being able to make the graduation ringing out from the speaker before fading away.
"I can't believe my oldest child is a college graduate!" His mother gushed as his father took the chance to hug him. Then she suddenly grew serious. "But now that means we have some things to discuss."
Taehyung furrowed his eyebrows. "Like what?"
His mother waved her hand dismissively as Jimin came back over with Taehyung's dad's phone, obviously done talking to his parents. "We'll talk about it over lunch." She turned to Jimin with a smile. "Will you be joining us, hon?"
Jimin gave her an apologetic smile. "I wish I could, but I have to work."
"Don't worry, we'll still be seeing him though." Taehyung said, earning a confused look from his cousin.
***
"So this is what you meant." Namjoon said in realization as Jimin walked up to their table with a barely masked glare.
"Can I get you guys started with some drinks?" Jimin asked through gritted teeth that were probably supposed to be a smile.
Namjoon's boyfriend, Seokjin, smiled politely at Jimin. "Can we get some strawberry soju?"
"I like him." Jimin said before turning to Taehyung's parents to get their drink orders.
Before Jimin could go get their drinks, Taehyung stopped him by grabbing his shirt sleeve. "We're gonna need two large daebak combos and can we also get some dumplings to start off with?" He smiled sweetly as Jimin glared at him. "Thank you!"
"Fuck off." Jimin said, quietly so no other customers would overhear and inevitably complain to Jimin's manager due to not realizing that he and Taehyung were actually best friends.
When Jimin was gone, Taehyung turned to his parents. "So what did you want to talk about?"
"Your future." His mother said, clearing her throat as Taehyung stared at her expectantly. "Tae, we understand that photography is your hobby but…"
Taehyung raised an eyebrow as his parents shared a look. "But?" He prompted them.
His father sighed before finishing. "It's not a valid career path."
"Of course it is." Taehyung said, barely noticing Jimin setting their drinks on the table. "Lots of people can be successful as a professional photographer. Especially in a place like Chicago. Weddings, birthday parties, headshots--lots of reasons for people to hire photographers."
"But do you know how long that takes to get to a point of being comfortable?" His mother asked. "Far too long. You need to find a more appropriate career path."
The rest of the family sat in an awkward silence as Taehyung stared at his parents in disbelief. "I want to be a photographer. We had this discussion four years ago when I graduated high school. And you said you would support me."
"We said we would support you exploring that in college." His father corrected. "Like on the side or maybe as a form of supplemental income, but not as something to do for a living."
"Well, it's what I'm gonna do for a living."
"Then I'm afraid we can no longer support you." His father said. "Financially, I mean."
Namjoon sat up straight, now a part of the conversation. "I'm sorry, Uncle Sungjin, but that affects me. I mean, Tae's my roommate. That's part of my rent."
Taehyung's father opened his mouth to respond to Namjoon but couldn't as Taehyung scoffed. "Fine, I don't need money from you guys. It's not like I asked for it anyway."
"Tae!" Namjoon turned to him with wide eyes. "You don't have a job!"
"I can get one." Taehyung shrugged as Jimin walked up and began setting their side dishes down on the table. "Jimin, you guys are hiring right."
"Not you." Jimin deadpanned before hurrying off again.
Taehyung pouted before shrugging again. "I'll get a job somewhere else then." He then shot his parents a look. "Just to make ends meet while I set up my photography business, because I'm not giving that up."
His mother sighed and shook her head. "You'll see the light one day."
***
"Life sucks." Taehyung groaned as he sat on Jimin's bed with him, eating some fries from Wingstop while Jimin enjoyed his sandwich. "Can you believe my parents?"
"Yes, because that's how most parents are." Jimin deadpanned as the sound of his roommate's headboard knocking against their shared wall became noticeable over their music. Jimin glared at the wall and banged his fist against it a couple of times before turning the music up. "Can she not?"
Taehyung snorted. "You're just jealous that she's actually getting laid." Jimin responded by smacking Taehyung's arm before taking another bite of his sandwich. "How was your mom?"
"She was fine." Jimin said before quickly changing the subject. "So what are you gonna do?
"Honestly, I kinda just wanna run away from it all for a second." Taehyung said, as that was always his go to response anytime something stressed him out or frustrated him. Running to Jimin's house as a kid, taking long walks to the park when he was a teenager, and even now as an adult-
"Yeah, I figured from the way you practically ran from the restaurant before I even started grilling y'all's meat." Jimin said.
Taehyung sighed and lightly hit the back of his head against the wall, debating if he should fight his flight response or give in. Then an idea hit him that had him giving in. "We should go on a road trip."
Jimin nearly choked on his sandwich. "What?"
"A road trip." Taehyung repeated. "We used to talk about doing it all the time when we were younger. Why not go on one now?" Jimin opened his mouth to respond, but Taehyung was too excited to stop talking just yet. "We could go on Route 66! I mean, it starts in Chicago! It's perfect! Just you and me, driving to California, seeing the sights of America."
"Tae, as much as I would love to go on a road trip…" Jimin sighed, "that would take weeks to do. There's no way the two of us could afford to do that." Taehyung pouted until another idea hit him.
***
"You want to go on a road trip?" Namjoon raised an eyebrow at Taehyung over breakfast.
"Uh huh?"
"With me?"
"Yep."
"And Jimin?"
"That's what I said."
"Just the three of us?"
Taehyung pouted. "Are you gonna make me repeat everything?"
Namjoon tilted his head. "Do you know how long a road trip across America would take?"
"Long enough for me to clear my head." Taehyung smiled.
"Even with the three of us, that's a lot of money." Namjoon sighed, biting his lip. "Can I invite Seokjin?" Taehyung scrunched his nose up at that. "I don't get why you don't like him. He's perfect."
"It's not that I don’t like him." Taehyung insisted. "I just don't like walking in on y'all having sex all the time."
Namjoon shot him a look. "That happened once."
"And what a way to meet my cousin's boyfriend." Taehyung retorted. "But a fourth person would make things cheaper across the board, so as long as you promise not to scar me for life again, then yes, you can invite Seokjin."
"Thank you." Namjoon smiled before perking up again. "What about my college roommate? We've already been talking about meeting up sometime this summer. Why not just bring him along?"
Taehyung shrugged. "More people means more money pooled together. I'm down."
***
"A road trip?" Seokjin asked as he picked ripe strawberries, Namjoon following him around. "Sounds fun! Count me in. I'll try to see if my uncle will lend us his van for the trip."
Namjoon let out a little cheer and wrapped his arms around Seokjin from behind, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "This summer's gonna be so fun. Our first vacation together." Seokjin couldn't help but giggle, enjoying the way Namjoon was now nuzzling into the crook of his neck. "A great start to the next chapter of our relationship."
That had Seokjin tensing a bit, but he quickly covered it up by stepping out of Namjoon's hold and turning to face him. "Will there be room for one more person on this trip?"
"I'm sure there is." Namjoon nodded. "Who is it?"
"Hoseok."
***
"Why do you want me to intrude on your little romantic getaway?" Hoseok asked, biting into one of the strawberries Seokjin had just delivered to his house.
Seokjin shot him a look. "It's not a romantic getaway, it's a road trip Namjoon's cousin is planning, and he's letting anyone tag along to be 'cost efficient'. I'm pretty sure he tried to invite the junkie that lives underneath them." He shook his head slightly. "Anyway, Namjoon said something…concerning and I'm gonna need my best friend there for me."
Hoseok's eyes widened a bit. "What did he say?"
"He said this trip will be 'a great start to the next chapter of our relationship'." Seokjin said, tugging at the end of his shirt nervously. Hoseok stared blankly at him, making him groan in frustration. "Next chapter, Hobi! Obviously he's planning on proposing!"
Hoseok blinked. "Oh no, how horrible."
"It's not horrible!" Seokjin shook his head. "It's just…I'm not ready. I mean I love him and, yeah, I would like to marry him one day just…not right now."
"Then tell him that." Hoseok deadpanned.
"I can't." Seokjin said sheepishly. "That's why I need you there! For bestie support!"
Hoseok sighed. "Alright, I'll come along just because I'm sure I'll get some great content for my podcast."
"Thank you!" Seokjin threw himself at Hoseok in a hug. "You're the best!"
"Trust me, I know."
***
Namjoon was inspecting a new arrival to the museum when he felt a familiar presence trying to keep itself hidden at the edge of the room. "Come on over, Jungkook." He used his head to gesture for the 20 year old omega to join him. "I know you wanna watch."
Jungkook hesitantly crossed the room to sit on the empty stool at Namjoon's work desk, taking care not to touch the painting Namjoon was looking over. "It's amazing." The intern said in awe, his voice quiet as if he were afraid talking too loud would damage the painting somehow.
"It is." Namjoon hummed before looking over his glasses at Jungkook. "Thinking this is what you want to do when you graduate?"
"Not really." Jungkook shook his head. "I'm more into the creating side of art than this. Not that your job isn't cool too, it's just not my preference."
"You don't have to justify yourself." Namjoon said with a slight chuckle that had a blush appearing on Jungkook's cheeks. "Everyone has their thing. This is mine, and drawing is yours." Jungkook nodded slightly as if to confirm that. "You going back home soon for the summer?" Jungkook shook his head again. "Really? Why not? Most college kids can't wait to go back home for a break."
Jungkook shrugged. "If I go home, I'll just sit in my room all day and draw…which is what I already do, but at least if I stay here, then I'll be forced to come to work and be a productive member of society." The way Jungkook said that gave Namjoon the feeling it was something the omega had heard many times before.
"Don't you want a break though?" Namjoon asked, earning another shrug from Jungkook. If it weren't for the fact that Namjoon knew the 20 year old wasn't a very big conversationalist, he probably would have felt awkward with the lack of verbal responses from him. But Namjoon did know him, which was why he found himself asking, "How do you feel about going on a road trip?"