Jungkook and Taehyung had decided to have a sleep over at Yoongi's place a week later and Jimin somehow convinced me to go along with him saying that I needed to relax for a while. I took the chance as an opportunity to get some time away from this house and father. And that is how I'm currently helping Taehyung and Jungkook to set up a massive pillow fort in Yoongi's living room whereas Jimin, Yoongi, Hoseok and Namjoon are selecting the movies and Seokjin is in the kitchen preparing food and drinks for us. I see Ara and Seo Yeon trying to harass Taehyung and Jungkook, Ara jumping on Jungkook's back wrapping her hands around his neck and instinctively Jungkook wrapped his arms around her thighs to balance them, dropping the pillows he was holding in the process. Taehyung expresses his distress of Seo yeon pulling his ears by whining out loud enough for the entire neighbourhood to hear. I leave them be laughing to myself as I go the kitchen to help Seokjin with the food.
He asks me to get the already prepared dishes and snacks outside to be placed on the table which I readily do. After some time we all gather around and decide to play twenty-one questions to get to know each other's favourite things, in an attempt to pass time before we can start watching the movies.
"Hyunie, why don't you go first" Jimin insisted, where I agreed while the others watched in confusion as I responded to the name 'Hyunie' casually. I picked up Jin asking him where he learnt to cook and the game went on until Taehyung picked Yoongi who in turn picked me to ask a question.
"Why did you respond to the name 'Hyunie' instead of Erica?" and I could feel the colour drain off from my face at the question but I instantly composed myself seeing Jimin's tensed body posture from the corner of my eyes.
"It's the name my mom gave me when I was bullied for my foreign origin at school when I was seven years old – Hyun Ae"
"It's a beautiful name. Why don't you use it?" Seo yeon inquired further.
"Noona only allows me to use that name, she doesn't like it when others call her that, it reminds her of mom" Jimin responds, rubbing my shoulder comfortably, trying to bring me back from my reverie, a flashback of all the happy moments I ever spent with mom.
He tries to turn everyone's attention back to starting one of the movies that we've decided to watch and manages to do so; everyone but Yoongi. I can still see him glancing at me worriedly as I try to come back to reality. We start watching the movie after switching the lights off but halfway through I can see Jimin fallen asleep on Taehyung's lap whose head is rested on Jungkook's shoulder who is holding Ara by her waist as he sleeps. All three of them sitting on the floor, Jungkook resting his back against the couch and Ara fallen asleep sitting on Jungkook's lap, facing towards him, arms around his waist, head on his chest.
Hoseok and Namjoon on either side of Jin who is watching the movie intently while the other two are soundly sleeping on one of the couches, soft snores coming out of Namjoon. Yoongi is sitting on the second couch, the features of his face highlighted by the soft glow of his phone. I am lying down on the third couch having no interest in the current romance movie playing on the screen, staring at the ceiling thinking about earlier as I slowly drift off to sleep. Being a light sleeper, I am awoken at night by small murmurs followed by someone panting and breathing heavily, the movie having ended long ago and all others already asleep.
"Mom....no" hearing this, I get up and go over to Jimin as fast as I can, recognizing his agony filled voice, careful so as to not wake anyone else up. I squat down in front of him, holding his hands trying to help him calm his breath down, knowing he is having another one of his nightmares.
"Dad?!......Don't...! D-don't hurt her....! Noona..! I'm s-so sorry! Stop...!" I slowly start rubbing his shoulder softly hoping that it will wake him up from his nightmare, not knowing how else I can calm him. As soon as he jerks awake, not being able to handle it anymore, he lifts his head up from Taehyung's lap and hugs me, holding me tightly against him. I run my hands through his hair, trying to quieten down his whimpering and calming him. He lets go of me for a moment and I help him up and walk him over to the couch I had been sleeping on. I lay him down on my lap and try to comfort him by rubbing his arm while running my fingers through his hair softly. His tense muscles visibly relax and he grips my waist burying his face in my stomach trying to hide the tears. I make him face me and wipe off the tears rolling down his face.
"It's fine....just a nightmare...I'm okay....you're safe..." I coo softly into his ear to console him.
"Please don't ever leave me like mom" Jimin's voice coming out hoarse from the crying with desperation lacing it, as he holds out his pinkie finger towards me waiting for me to link mine with his sealing the promise like we used to do when we were younger. I immediately smile linking my pinkie with his.
"I promise, Jimin. I'll not leave you....I'll keep you safe. Trust me" I whisper, going back to running my hand through his hair, knowing it will help him go to sleep again after the bad dream he's just had. I drifted to sleep as soon as he relaxed completely and his breathing became even signalling his unconsciousness.
I woke up the next morning, neck stiff from the awkward angle I was sleeping in for the night. Jimin was soundly sleeping on my lap. Looking around, I could see Yoongi, Namjoon, Hoseok and Seo yeon sitting around the dining table waiting for Seokjin to finish cooking the breakfast for them in the open kitchen. The other three were in the same positions from yesterday, still fast asleep. On hearing my shuffling, Seo yeon greeted me with a bright smile and a small 'good morning'. I stood up after shifting a pillow under Jimin's head and went to the washroom to freshen up for the day. Coming back to the table and seeing their faces, I could clearly make out that Yoongi and Namjoon were not too happy with being woken up whereas Hoseok, Seo yeon and Seokjin were bubbling with energy. Slowly the other four started shuffling and waking up. After spending a considerable time of our Sunday together, we collectively decided it would be best if we head back home. Jimin and I walk back to our house and go to our separate rooms, Jimin decides to complete his business course work while I decide to finish my assignments.
"Fear of losing someone you love feels like you are struggling to breathe" – Anonymous
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