Polaroid // PJM

XXXIII

Hushed streets, dimly lit alleys, scarce leftover rose petals on the concrete beneath. No people in sight, all the fairy lights, champagne, and set tables were no longer in sight. Midnight skies, twinkly bright stars, and a cool soft breeze.

A blanket laid on the hard ground with two bodies laying next to each other, no words exchanged, no intimacy, just holding hands, holding whatever they had left of hope between them. Their silhouettes barely visible, engulfed in the darkness of the street.

"I don't want to leave," a sole voice whispered into the thin air, blown away in the breeze.

He locked eyes with hers, voice staggering. "I don't want you to leave."

"If only our circumstances were different, if only I was-," he breathed heavily, "if only I was not me."

"Don't say that," she held his face with both hands, her slim fingers wrapping around his chubby cheeks, "if our circumstances were different, we wouldn't have met."

"And if you weren't you, I wouldn't have loved you." Her shiny eyes captivated his, sending sudden warmth into his heart.

She huddled closer, laying her hand and head on his chest. He slowly wrapped his hand around hers, tears gathered in his puffy eyes.

"Promise you will wait for me, Eun."

"You don't need to make me promise you, I would do it anyway."

He sighed in relief, caressing her hair with his other hand.

She looked at him smiling mischievously, "hey, wanna take a polaroid?"

Chuckling bitterly, he spoke, "I don't look good enough for a polaroid now."

"What? You always look good," she said abruptly, "plus, it was that pickup line that got me."

She took the camera from his side, "you have only one picture left?"

"Take it, let the last picture be us." He smiled at her as she positioned it, huddling closer they clicked the button, taking one last polaroid.

Tapping her fingers slowly on his chest, she heard his heartbeat, his body heaving up and down was like a sweet lullaby as she rested her eyes for a moment. A few minutes of still silence passed, only their breathing could be heard.

He huffed out breath hitching at the words stuck at the end of his throat with a burning sensation, "Eun, I love you so much, so so much Eun,"

"Words are not enough as to how much I love you, Eun, I would die for you," he breathed out, "I would die for you any given day."

Upon receiving no answer, he looked down on his chest, her eyes closed and breath deepening. "Eun? You slept?" he chuckled like a child despite the tears in his eyes.

Taking the chance, Jimin wrapped his arms strongly around her, hugging her form tightly, he dug his head into her hair taking in her sweet smell. This time, he let a few tears slip by adorning his red cheeks with glistening pearls, with a croaked voice he whispered, "I love you so bad."

He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

Unnoticed by him, her brows furrowed, trying to hold back the urge to open her eyes, to hug back mercilessly. She knew if she saw the state he was in, she wouldn't leave and he wouldn't stay. She had to be strong for both, him and herself.

He sniffled a few times before slowly throwing an arm beneath her knees, he got on his feet gracefully carrying her along. He headed over to her hotel, taking such slow steps, sneaking moments to look at her graceful sleeping form and hold back his tears.

He walked in, taking the stairs instead of the elevator to spend more time with her til he reached her floor. Slowly knocking on the door with his foot, he was met by Nara who gave him pitiful looks, she never knew he could look so destroyed.

She led him inside where he placed his love on her bed. He turned back towards the door, looking one last time at Eun, he glanced at Nara.

"Thank you for tonight,"

"It was what I should have done earlier." She stood by Eun's bed arms crossed, looking at her.

"I don't know if I can make it to the airport tomorrow," he sniffed. "I'm not sure I can see her off."

"I understand."

He nodded before leaving quickly, he took hurried steps towards his own motel. Before he knew it, he was running in alleys, huffing and puffing air as his vision got blurry by the second. Knowing his way back home by heart, he didn't hesitate in taking turns blindly. He ran up the flight of croaky stairs leading to his shared bedroom.

He unlocked the door with trembling hands, the sound of the key desperately trying to fit in the lock grabbed Jungkook's attention as he tossed around in bed. 

The hurried disoriented steps and muffled cries filled the room. Jimin dropped his body on the bed resulting in a slow creak. His uneven breathes and blurry vision didn't help neither did the screeching headache.

Burning in agony, his throat was on fire. He slammed his hand over his mouth to try and stop the cries but the hiccups gave him in.

"Hey," a sleepy groggy voice half whispered into the cold dark room.

Jungkook slowly sat up, his hair disheveled and eyes unevenly open. Sighing out loudly, he got off the bed turning to his friend and patting his back soothingly.

It didn't take long before the three guys were up and comforting their love-losing friend. A mess of red eyes, cranky foreheads, and frowny faces.

That was the night Jimin recalled crying hardest, crying his heart out, the cry of losing someone, the cry of not feeling enough, the cry of a million reasons for her to walk out and only one reason to stay.

It was that night Jimin made a promise on himself that wouldn't only change his life but everyone's he came across.