With You [minjoon]

five

It was cold. He woke up shivering. The skin under his nostrils was moist; his nose was running.

He pried his tired eyes open. He moved his hand to his face, carefully touching the skin under his nose. His nose wasn't running.

His fingertip was painted red. Frantically, he sat up in bed, finding a bloodstain on his white pillow. He let out a small groan – bloodstains were nearly impossible to wash off.

He sighed. He should get himself cleaned up.

The moment he creaked his bedroom door open, stepping foot inside the living room, the doorbell rang throughout his apartment.

He forgot all about the blood trickling from his nostrils.

He ran to the door. Jimin stood right outside, holding something familiar in his hand. His phone. He must've left it at Jimin's place yesterday.

"Oh, Jimin," he put a smile on his face.

"You left your phone at my apartment yesterday,"

...

"Namjoon, your nose!" he gasped, "It's bleeding," he lifted a finger to point.

He took his phone from his hand, jamming it in his pocket.

"Oh," he gently touched the skin under his nose. He had completely forgotten.

"What happened?"

He smiled subtly, "I tripped and banged my nose on a table... I'm really clumsy."

Jimin's tensed gaze relaxed, lips curving to an amused grin, "You've got to be more careful," he frowned.

A soft chuckle escaped Namjoon's lips. His gaze scanned Jimin.

His eyes were starlit. He was stunning, with his short hair gently parted by the middle. Namjoon had a hard time looking away. Every time he looked at the painting, he'd find a new detail. Every detail was alluring.

He played with the Samsung in his hand, "Well, thanks for the phone." Smiling, the other turning around to leave.

"Wait," the words slipped past his lips. He came to a halt, facing Namjoon.

"Have you had breakfast yet?"

He shook his head.

"Would you like to come in?"

He stepped to the side, letting Jimin walk past him. The man took in his home, eyes trailing his surroundings. "You go ahead and take a seat on the couch while I fix my nose bleed,"

He sighed in relief once inside his bathroom. He tore off some toilet paper, wetting it before gently dapping it under his nose. He cleaned up the blood, reaching for the medicine on the shelf.

He swallowed a couple of pills.

He exited the bathroom, finding Jimin zoned out on his couch. He seemed all out of it.

"So, what do you want?" he asked. The man snapped his head in his direction, gaze softening, "Uh, could I just have some water?"

He frowned in response but said nothing. He got Jimin the water – a cold bottle straight from his fridge.

"Here," he threw it to him. He caught it, screwing the cap off.

He sighed, "You should be eating something instead," he told him, "You need to get some meat on your bones," his comment was rather a friendly tease.

Jimin looked down at his lap, fiddling with his fingers. A downcast smile tugged at his lips.

"I know. I just lose my appetite every time I think about Ddosun," he frowned.

"Ddosun?"

"My late dog – he died from a liver infection two weeks ago." He could hear the heart break in Jimin's voice.

"I'm terribly sorry to hear that." Namjoon had once lost a pet. Rapmon died when he was 10.

It was one of the worst heart breaks he ever delt with. Rapmon had been his best friend. He had grown up with him.

He truly understood the pain Jimin was feeling.

An agonized chuckle sounded from the other man, "That's what I mean," he said, "Everyone I love dies."

"I'm scared of loving another person," he admitted, "They'll just pass away." He swallowed a thick lump of saliva.

"Nonsense, Jimin. One day, you'll find someone who won't leave you; someone you'll grow old with. I can feel it," he said.

He remained silent, giving him no more than a subtle smile in response.

"You know," he started, "There's a place in town I've been meaning to go to, and it'd be sad to go alone."

Jimin gazed at him, eyes glistening. "Would you like to accompany me?"

He nodded, "It's a date."

Namjoon was happy that Jimin accepted his invite, but deep inside he felt a gut-wrenching guilt. He was leading him on, all while he had just poured his feelings out to him.

He was going to leave Jimin, just like everyone else.