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Namjoon picked up his phone to text Lydia.  Just then a message came in from Hobi.  He was going to meet them at the stadium.  What on earth was going on?  Tae and Jungkook were still unaccounted for.

Namjoon sent a rapid response to Hobi, asking him if Tae and Jungkook were with him.  Hobi responded that Tae was going to meet them there, though he neglected to mention that Tae would be late.  He had no idea where Jungkook was.

Namjoon shook his head.  This wasn’t like Kookie at all.  He was ultra-responsible, waking up earlier than everyone else to get extra practice in.  Was it possible that he had already headed to the stadium?  And just forgotten to shoot Namjoon a text?  That did sound like Jungkook.  Communication via electronic devices was not his strong suit.

Namjoon waited in the hallway for Jimin and Sanduni.  Three minutes later, Sanduni stepped into the hallway, all evidence of last night’s crying session wiped from her face.

He glanced up at her.  “Is Grace in your room?”

Sanduni raised her dark eyebrows as she shook her head.  “She’s not downstairs?”

“I haven’t seen her this morning.  She didn’t come down to breakfast.  And I can’t find Jungkook.”

“Well, there’s your answer then.  She must be with him.”

“Maybe he did head to the stadium early.”  Namjoon could just picture Kookie standing on that stage giving Grace a solo performance while the rest of them slept.

Jimin opened his door and stumbled into the hallway.  His eye was still irritating him.  He hadn’t even been able to put his contacts in.  Hopefully, the situation would resolve itself as they drove to Soldier Field.  

“I’m ready,” he declared as he shot Namjoon a sheepish smile before he turned towards Sanduni and graced her with a brilliant grin.  “Good morning, love-uh-ly.”

Sanduni beamed at him.  The boy had just melted her bones with one word.

Namjoon rolled his eyes before heading for the elevator.

—

It took the Uber driver thirty-five minutes to pick them up, not fifteen.  Tae stood sliding his hands up and down Sarah’s blanket-clad arms in an attempt to warm her up.  It wasn’t helping.  She was so cold.

“Where is this guy?  We need to stop and get you some coffee.  You are clearly freezing!  This was such a bone-headed idea!  How could I bring you out here on such a cold night?”

“Tae, go easy on yourself.  You didn’t know we were going to fall asleep or that the temperature was going to plummet overnight!  And you bought two blankets and a coat last night!  It’s not like you came unprepared!”

His coat!  He unzipped it and shrugged it off his shoulders before pulling the blankets off of her.  He handed her his coat.  “Put it on,” he spoke sternly as he saw the gleam in her eye.

Meekly, she slid her arms into the sleeves.  Tae was there immediately, grabbing the zipper and feeding it into its insertion point.  Quickly, his fingers rode the zipper up to her chin.  He pulled the hood up over her head, pulling her hair out to cascade down her chest.  Then he wrapped both blankets around her.  

After a few moments, she felt her body beginning to thaw.  She glanced at him, concern in her eyes.  “Thank you, Tae.  I’m finally warming up, but I don’t want you to catch cold.”

He grinned.  “I’m fine.”

She smiled lopsidedly at him.  “At least come hide under the blankets with me,” she whispered, opening her arms to him.

He grinned mischievously at her and quirked his eyebrows before embracing her.  Her arms, carrying the blankets with them, surrounded his back.  Tae was radiating heat from his core.  Happily, he enveloped Sarah in a flood of warmth.  A few moments later, they were both toasty as Tae stared down into her beautiful, brown eyes.

He glanced around.  No one was here.  There was not a single car in the parking lot.  Their Uber was nowhere to be seen.  A more perfect opportunity would not present itself.

“Sarah,” he whispered as he gazed back down into her eyes.

She smiled up at him for a moment before her smile faded completely as she continued to gaze longingly up at him.  Tae felt an echoing desire rising up from his own heart.  He dipped his head slowly, his lips finally finding her own.  His chilly nose bumped into her own cold one, and he grinned against her mouth.  

He murmured into her lips, “Even your nose is cold!”

“Yours feels like that of a little, wet puppy!”  She gave him as good as she got.

He laughed.  “At least your lips are warm,” he muttered as his mouth delved into her own again.