Fall (Bangtan Sonyeondan BTS Alternate Universe)

23. Discomfort In Empty Chairs

Everyone seemed really happy, screaming with each other and sharing smiles as they generously gargled down drinks, clanking bottles and cans together.

The alcohol had eased the obvious discomfort with the empty chair on the end of the circle, and nearly everyone seemed to be having a good time.

Jungkook and V were throwing cans at each other, holding sticks out like bats, competing to see who could hit them the farthest. J-Hope was dancing around the fire, trying to get Jimin to join him.

Suga and Star were awake, as even they couldn't sleep with J-Hope around. Though their eyes were low, and they had their heads leaned together, murmuring quietly to each other words that only they could hear.

Namjoon was drinking silently, one arm lazily draped across my shoulder. He wasn't really participating in any of the conversations, just barely smiling beneath the glass everytime someone looked over. His breathing was slow, and I could see his chest rising and falling in the harsh hue of the fire, feel his chest caving in with my shoulder pressed to his side.

Nobody else was paying attention, but I saw the way he kept glancing at the empty chair, and I could tell his head was some where else.

On Jin, I'm positive.

I couldn't do anything to help really, except be a contact comfort. I slipped closer to him, pulling his noncommittal arm farther down, pressing my thighs against his, and laying my hand on his leg, gently tapping his knees and looking up at him.

His eyes shifted over to me, and I could see his lips pulling up slightly. It was small, but it was progress.

With the bottle empty, he carefully put it down. Or at least, he tried to. A little too forceful, as the glass broke.

He looked at it blankly, letting out an embarrassed breath that sounded like an attempt at a laugh.

He looked back at me, and before I could tease him for his accidental destruction, he pulled me into his lap.

I held my breath as his arms snaked around my waist, his head pressing onto my shoulder.

I could feel that he was shaking, and I wasn't sure if he was cold, or if he was using me to hide the fact that he was about to cry.

His head moved from my shoulder to my neck, his lips brushing across my skin, leaving a trail of mist from his breath.

He pressed his lips to my neck, and I inhaled sharply.

Well, that wasn't what I expected.

He kissed the indent between my shoulder and my neck, before trailing behind my head, following my neck around to my other shoulder, where the others couldn't see him.

Not that they were looking. Everyone was blissfully distracted, leaving me to suffer in this moment alone.

Suffer, only because he was teasing me, he wouldn't possibly go any farther with everyone else around.

Once he made it back to my shoulder, he paused for a moment, his warm lips pressed against my skin, and I could feel his breath pushing past his lips, crawling across my skin, leaving a hot trail as it left his mouth.

He pulled his lips away, burying his forehead into the crook of my neck. I could feel his hot breath down my back, and his grip on my waist tightened.

I reached down to press my hands over his, brushing my thumbs across the back of his hand. I took a deep breath, trying to stay still and be his rock, his wall to lean on.

His grip was tight, and I couldn't say it was comfortable, not physically at least, but it was more than bearable knowing that he needed me to be there right now, hiding him, protecting him, giving him the privacy to grieve, or whatever he would call it.

I looked over to see Suga and Star making out, and Jungkook saw too.

"Yah, go away with that crap!" Suga pulled away and glared at Jungkook, and Star smirked, sticking her tongue out at him.

He had interrupted them, and that seemed like something completely wrong to do, especially with Suga or Star involved. With the both of them, it was like signing your death certificate.

"Come on, you're not as innocent as you play yourself to be," Jimin said, and Jungkook huffed, crossing his arms.

"That has nothing to do with anything!" Jungkook said, and V jumped in, raising his finger.

"It has everything to do with nothing!" Everyone looked at V cluelessly, and he grinned widely, letting out a laugh.

J-Hope jumped between everyone, clapping his hands together.

"Let's go swimming!" He ran for the pool, pulling his shirt off and tossing it to the side. He fumbled trying to slip his pants off while still running.

Jimin ran after him desperately, yelling in disgust when J-Hope threw his pants behind him and they landed on Jimin's head.

"It's empty!" Jimin grabbed J-Hope and pulled him away from the edge just before he could jump in.

Dragging him back, Jimin tried to get J-Hope to put his clothes back on, but he refused, throwing his arms out to keep the clothes away from him.

"I'm free, I'm free, you can't force me to wear anything!" J-Hope then began trying to pull his boxers off, but Jimin let out an embarrassed yelp, jumping on top of him and throwing them both to the ground.

Jimin struggled to hold him down as he also tried to pull his pants on him. Nobody made a move to help him, as Jimin continued to struggle against the dancer.

"Yah, help me," he yelled, and nobody moved, staring blankly at them. Jimin glared at them as he continued struggling, eventually getting J-Hope clothed, only because he seemed to have fallen asleep on Jimin's lap, snoring.

"You guys are worthless," he mumbled, picking the limp J-Hope up and laying him over his chair. He was careful not to wake the boy, and I smiled at how kind he was when it came to his friends.

Seeing V in his spot, Jimin sat on the ground with Jungkook, smacking Jungkook's hands away from his pouting face.

Nobody would sit in Jin's seat.

Jin, what happened to you, to everyone, that made everything this way?