Truths of Florid Nebulae [NamKook]

•Chapter 5: New & Old Love•

Hoseok patiently waited for his order, knowing that his favorite spot in the universe didn't, couldn't fail him when it came down to serving him pasta. Roma's was that good of a food provider, he would often swear in the name of his family.

The Italian restaurant always seemed to attract him in someway or another, be it because of it's amazing cuisine and desserts, the great service (he had already befriended some of the waiters and waitresses! How cool was that?) or simply the atmosphere of the place. Brick walls surrounded him with comfortable warmth, the kind of feeling he got every time he traveled back home to his family. The smell of pizza tickled his sensitive nose, driving his senses out of control.

He thought of all the times he had come with his sister to this place. How many times he and his group of friends basically drowned from all the gelato they ate. How many times he had fallen more and more in love with Jimin in this restaurant.

 Hoseok started playing with his fork, becoming anxious at all those memories he had created with his childhood friend here, from all those days where they had been about eight or nine years old, that they had visited this place a hundred times. When they splattered each other's faces with bologna sauce, when they had shared a large pizza they had begged their parents to buy them and then when they were too full to even hop into their cars to return home. He thought of all the times they would end up in one of their houses to spend the night because of how much fun they had with each other, of all the times he slept next to Jimin, watching him until he would fall asleep. All those nights when Jimin would feel brave enough to sing to him until he would still hear his beautiful voice in his dreams.

He marveled at how much time, years, he had spent dreaming, singing, dancing, having fun with Jimin. Watching him grow. Watching him fall in love with music. Watching him attend his first ballet class thanks to Hoseok's encouragement. Watching him forget his stage fear and performing for the first time in second grade. Watching his best friend. Watching his partner in crime.

Watching him present as an omega at 14 years old, and not a beta like they had planned. They had always talked about being a fantastic duo of betas, not tied to societal demands to mate or to succumb to hormonal urges. They wanted to live their lives free of stereotypes. Free of prejudice.

And now Hoseok wasn't able to protect Jimin from that prejudice.

Hoseok remembered how frustrated he had felt, knowing that Jimin was an omega, a bearer, someone destined to breed children with an alpha.

An alpha.

Not Hoseok.

He remembered feeling useless, irrelevant, because after it was all said and done, Jimin would need an alpha, someone capable of giving him what he wants, someone that could satisfy him.

Not Hoseok.

He sighed dejectedly. He had to move on. He had hoped coming back to the restaurant would mean he was ready to start visiting it without Jimin. That it meant he was finally over him. That he could start anew.

But it backfired. It backfired so hard, not even the delicious smell radiating from his pasta as it finally arrived brought him back from his misery.

How could he had thought it was possible to forget someone so easily. Someone like Jimin.

Jimin, with his almost celestial beauty and imperfections.

Jimin, with his graceful attitude and comical manners.

Jimin, with his capturing pink lips that would keep him awake at night or lull him to sleep with the thought of them.

Jimin, with his talent for anything music, anything artistic.