... And Other Ships

JiKook: Pillar

I loved Jimin more than I could possibly express. 

He was my best friend, roommate, teddy-bear, confidant, and lover all rolled into one. Of course we picked on each other, but it was all for fun and brought our moods up when we were feeling low. Park Jimin was everything I had ever hoped for and more; I never wanted to be without him. 

If I had to name one thing I loved about him the most, it would have to be how he was able to hold me up when I felt ready to crumble. 

When I broke my foot, I was so angry at myself. I knew we had a concert in a few days, yet I still did something stupid and ended up in the emergency room in a foreign country. Only I was dumb enough to accomplish a feat like that. 

I couldn't perform at the concert, but despite my limitations, I was still dead-set on singing for our fans. I already disappointed them because I couldn't dance; I wasn't going to upset them even further. 

They sat me in a chair and let me sing, which was probably one of the most humiliating things I ever had to go through so far. It was pretty high on the list. 

I remember that Jimin hung around me during the concert, standing behind me with a hand on my shoulder to let me know that he was simply there. He was there for me and I didn't have to suffer alone. 

When I apologized to the fans for being such a loser, I began to cry. It was a mixture of letting them down, letting the other members down, and letting myself down that really pushed me to tears. I was just so upset, and the fans trying to get me to stop crying just made me cry even more. 

But then I felt a weight on my thighs, and I opened my eyes to see Jimin crouched in front of me, his elbows resting just above my knees. 

"You hear that, Kookie?" he asked me, lifting a hand to wipe my tears away, "They're not disappointed. We aren't, either. Everything is gonna be okay. We'll come back next year, and you won't be sitting in this chair. It's okay." 

And then he hugged me tight, right in front of all of our fans. Our members joined in, too, hugging me so tight that I couldn't breathe. 

Jimin stood behind me after that, resting his chin on my head. 

"We love you, ARMY!" he yelled, giving the crowd a finger-heart, and I couldn't help but smile. 

He kept me from completely crumbling. 

-------

I remember that now, as we stood on a different stage, in a different stadium. 

We were all singing Microkosmos when I noticed Jimin crouch down during his part, tears pouring down his face. "I'm sorry," he choked out, crying hard into his hand. 

Jimin was crumbling, and he needed to be held up. 

Without another thought, I began to cover his part, running over to crouch down right behind him. I rested my arms on either side of his head, my chin resting on the top of it as I continued to sing. 

I was looking out at the crowd, giving it my best effort to do Jimin some justice on his part, smiling at a few people in the very front who were trying to get his attention in order to tell him to stop crying. I winked at them, reassuring them that he would receive their message. 

When I was finished, I moved my microphone away from us and tilted my head to look down at him, running my free hand through his bangs comfortingly. 

"It's okay, Jiminie-hyung. You're okay," I whispered into his ear, placing a subtle kiss on it right after. 

He hung his head, making himself smaller, and I followed him down, holding him as tightly as I could without hurting him. 

"I love you, Jungkook," he rushed out, voice raw with emotion. I could only laugh at him and repeat the statement back to him. 

Jimin crumbled, and he needed me to be his pillar. 

He was there for me when I needed him most, and I was there for him, too. I made sure he knew that.