Try-Hard, Sin Harder

13. Promises

 I couldn't sleep.

 The night was cold, despite being buried under a small mound of blankets. I shifted under the covers, staring at the whitewashed ceiling above me. Shadows danced across its surface; dodging glimmers of moon and starlight that seeped in through the glass balcony door. I watched them twirl and jerk around, down the walls and in darkened corners. They danced to no music. An oppressing silence had fallen upon the apartment with the night. No snores could be heard, nor any indication of someone actually sleeping. I wondered if V were lying awake in his bedroom. Glancing down the hall, I could see a faint outline of his silhouette through the cracked door. He hadn't moved since we'd gone to bed, and barely said a word to either of us when he brought me over from Hoseok's apartment. I glanced at my phone; that had been almost four hours ago. Deciding I would never fall asleep, I slid off of the fold-up bed, leaving the blankets behind as I rose. Stepping lightly across the wooden floor, I walked on my bare toes towards the balcony. Careful to make a minimal amount of noise, I slid the door open, and stepped outside. 

 The air was brisk against my bare legs, making the oversized shirt flow around me. I had reluctantly borrowed it from V, but the pants he handed me were simply baggy and kept sliding down my hips. I quickly made up my mind to forgo them, the shirt fell almost to my knees, anyway. I curled the sleeves of the dark green shirt around my knuckles, and placed my arms on the balcony railing. Leaning my weight forward, I looked up at the silver disk above me. Shades of violet and sapphire splayed across the sky, dotted in stars that shimmered like angel dust. Stroked together as if by brush, the colours melted together. The remnant scarlet fire of the sunset had long since faded beyond the line of trees in the distance. Mere moments where day gives wake to night, and too many of us are unfortunate to miss. It was a scene that no artist could ever do justice. 

 The air shifted as someone slid beside me, and I jumped, stepping towards the opposite wall. I calmed my startled heart, it was only V. He glanced over me once, then turned back to the world beyond the balcony. "You couldn't sleep either?" he asked. 

 I nodded, moving back to the railing. "I'm not even tired." 

 He paused, thinking about something for a moment. "I'll be right back," he told me, and stepped back into the apartment. 

 After a few minutes he returned, carrying some clothing in his arms. "Here," he said, handing me my pants, socks, and shoes. Confused, I slipped them on, watching from the corner of my eye as V stepped into a pair of jeans, threw a jacket over his shoulders, and slipped a baseball cap backwards on to his head. Silently, he handed me a black jacket, and I wrapped myself in it. Both the jacket and the shirt I wore weren't mine, but I still savoured their warmth. V looked me over once more. It was hard to distinguish in the pale moonlight, but I could have sworn I saw him smiling slightly. Turning away, he threw himself over the railing of his balcony, standing on the edge of the opposite side. As he went to jump off, I lunged forward and gripped the back of his jacket. "What are you doing?!"

 He raised an eyebrow at me. "Sneaking out." 

 "Why don't we just use the front door?" I asked him. 

 "I live furthest away from the stairwell, some of my Hyungs will hear us if we try to go out that way," he replied. When I didn't loosen my grip, he smiled softly, and reached behind him, detaching my shaky hands. "We're only on the second floor, Keira. I'll be fine, I've done this a million times before." 

 Without waiting for me to reply, he stepped off the edge of the balcony, landing on his feet on the grass below. I almost threw myself over the edge after him, my heart dropping to my stomach before I realized he was alright. Taking in an uneasy breath, I placed my forehead on the balcony railing, silently cursing him for the miniature heart attack he gave me. "Are you coming?" A whispered voice called up to me.