Terrible Things

Chapter 3 - Then

"So you're telling me that you just nabbed the center spot for the biggest exhibition of the year?" Jimin leans over the table towards me, his eyes wide as his fingers tap the outside of his glass.

I nod, settling back against the cracked leather. The bar had cleared out a bit, most of the patrons having headed home once the clock struck midnight. Namjoon, Jin, and Hoseok had been part of that crowd.

But not Jimin and I.

My friend's had left hours ago, Namjoon carrying a sleeping Jin in his arms as he warned me against doing anything he wouldn't. Even the group Jimin had come here with had come to say goodbye to him, claiming that they had an early class the next morning and advising him not to stay out too late.

But yet here we still were, sitting in this same greasy booth, the clock on the wall reading that it was almost four in the morning.

And still neither of us made a move to leave.

"That's actually really great," he breathes, bending down to look at me through the glass. The alcohol in it distorts the image, his eye now much bigger than the other one and I can't help the laugh that escapes me. He pouts, sitting up. "What are you laughing at?"

"No-nothing," I say, calming myself. "It's just," I sigh, leaning forward onto my palm. "You're too cute."

"I am not," he pouts, his cheeks starting to darken.

"Okay, okay." I take a drink, smiling behind my glass. "So what are you doing here tonight, anyway?"

"Besides meeting the love of my life?" My heart skips a beat, my skin warming and I know if I could see them, my ears would be a brilliant shade of red. Jimin smiles at me mischievously, giving me a wink.

I smack his arm lightly. "It's not nice to tease people, you know?"

He laughs and I wish I could record that sound, record it and listen to it every second of every day. "I'm sorry, Yoongi. But you just make it far too easy."

"Yeah, yeah," I grumble. "So are you actually gonna tell me why you're out tonight?"

"It's to celebrate my birthday, actually." He takes a sip of his drink, wrapping his lips around the straw seductively. I take a deep breath, trying to settle myself. It's been a while since I'd been this close to an unmated Omega, or around any Omega that wasn't Jin for that matter, and trying to keep my thoughts in the right place was proving... difficult.

I clench my fists, averting my eyes from his lips. I clear my throat, "Oh, uh, Happy Birthday. I would've said it sooner but-"

"Don't worry about it," he chuckles, waving his hand. "It was actually a week ago, or I guess eight days since it's passed midnight, but we were all really busy with classes so we couldn't go out until now."

"You guys keep saying that," I point out. I lean forward, more interested in him than anyone else I've ever met. "What do you mean by classes? Are you guys in University?"

"We're in dance school."

"So you're a dancer?"

"Well..... Not quite yet." He stares off, his eyes far away as he thinks. I wait patiently and after a few seconds a lazy smile graces his face. "But it's my dream. I want to be one of the greatest dancers in the world." He blushes, immediately hiding his face. "I- I'm sorry. You must think I'm so silly, especially with a dream li-"

I lean forward, pressing my finger to his lips. I meet his eyes. "Never, and I mean never, be ashamed of your dreams or what you're passionate about." I sit back in my seat. "Besides, I'd be a pretty shitty love of your life if I judged you for just speaking your dream."

Laughing, he falls forward. His face is resting against the table, his arms wrapped around his head as his body shakes with each laugh. A laugh like that was contagious and pretty soon we're both bent over, tears running down our face as we laugh, the original reason we started laughing long forgotten.

Eventually we calm down, each of us wiping the tears from our faces when Jimin finally speaks again. "Do you believe in fate, Yoongi?"

"Hm." I rest my elbows on the table, twirling my fingers together as I think. Did I believe in fate? Was it fate that brought a love like Namjoon and Jin's together? Was it fate that made Jimin so busy with classes that he had to put off his celebration until the same night of my own? "I didn't before. But maybe-" I meet his eyes, smiling. "Maybe now I do."

"I believe in fate or at least something like it," he says, his fingers wrapping around mine. They were so small, barely able to reach around all of my fingers, but his touch soothed me regardless. His thumb traces circles against my skin absently, my eyes drawn to it as he continues. "Life is too wonderful to not believe in something bigger. To not believe that people are brought together for a reason, that love can span across multiple lifetimes if it's deep enough. I believe in that, even if it's not considered fate." His thumb stops and I look up, meeting his eyes. "I believe in love."

The bar is quiet, no voices or laughter echoing around us to take the weight out of his words. And that's the first time it occurs to me:

Everyone else has left. Jimin and I are the only customers left in this store. Two complete strangers that had come here for two different reasons with seperate groups of people, we even sat on completely opposite ends of the building. But yet we were the only two left.

If fate, love, or whatever you want to call it was the reason for us sitting here, the most gorgeous man in the world holding my hand...

Well then maybe that wasn't such a bad thing to believe in.

Footsteps approach the table but we ignore them, only having eyes for each other at that moment. Until the newcomer clears their throat. "Excuse me." I look up at the voice, met by the sight of one of the workers. "I'm sorry but we're closing now. I'm going to have to ask you guys to leave."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Jimin cries. He pulls his hand away from mine and almost immediately I want to pull him back. But I don't, instead following as he stands and apologizes once again to the girl. I give her a tip, apologizing for the trouble, and follow Jimin out the door.

The cool night air, nips the tip of my nose as I step outside. I shrug on my jacket, popping the collar up to protect my neck from the cold. Frost hung in the air, the seasons confused as to whether it was fall or winter anymore, my breath coming out in little clouds.

I watch as Jimin wraps a scarf around his neck, the fluffy material bunched up so it hid his mouth. How it didn't tickle him was beyond me, but it made him look adorable. And it made knowing we had to part even more painful.

He meets my eyes as he finishes, stepping closer to me. He shoves his hands in his pockets, swaying from side to side slowly. It was almost morning and freezing, but yet we were both reluctant to move from that spot. It wasn't until I saw a splotch of red appear on Jimin's nose, and no doubt own my own, that I decided it was time to go.

"We should do this again," I say, hopeful. While it had seemed that tonight had been amazing for both of us, I couldn't push down the fear I had that he would say no, say that this meant nothing to him.

"I'd love that." He smiles, taking another step closer to me. He grabs my hand, pushing something in the palm of it. "Until next time, Yoongi."

And then he's gone, his hips swaying as he walks away from me, not even glancing back. I stand there for a moment, watching him. And I don't move until he's turned the corner, the last trail of his scarf disappearing.

I look down at my hand, smiling at the piece of paper in it. I had no idea when he had thought to write it, but I was glad he did.

Let's believe in love

(xxx)xxx-xxxx