𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫. | BTS |

chapter 68 ~ 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆

     Jimin nodded, more to himself than to me, reaching up to lace our fingers together against his collar. I rested my head against the side of his seat, eyes flicking back and forth between both men as we sat in silence the whole ride over. When we arrived, Yoongi watched the Bentley behind us swerve in another direction in the parking lot, driving up a ramp to find a spot while Jimin circled the bottom level. Greedily, he jerked the truck into place beneath the back of the ramp, cutting the engine and quickly hopping out. 

     "Jungkook!" he shouted, his voice echoing throughout the parking levels.

     "Coming!" 

     Jungkook and Taehyung's footsteps multiplied as they ran down the ramp to the lower parking level, sliding around the bend and staring across at us with an almost panicked gaze. "Let's go!" Taehyung shouted, grabbing Jungkook by the back of his denim jacket and hauling him out the exit. Yoongi, Jimin, and I all exchanged broad grins, bouncing on our heels as we sped after the other two at full speed, wanting to get to the airline gate as fast as possible.

     No matter how much I wanted to mope around in self-pity, I couldn't help but grin wider as I pushed myself to full speed, sprinting past Jungkook and Taehyung with Jimin on my heels. The younger two called out in complaint, their footsteps mingling with ours as we raced in one large group through the airport traffic and into the main building.

     We slowed to a fast walk, tugging our masks over our noses as we turned every which way in search of directions. Yoongi grabbed my shoulder, steering me down a corridor that numbered a list of different gates. Smiling beneath my mask, I laced our hands together, bouncing on my toes as we padded through the thinning line of deboarding passengers towards Seokjin's gate. Already, we could see a swarm of people trudging out with suitcases and duffle bags in hand, mothers with their toddler's hands clutched in their grasps, all wearing masks to protect themselves from the spreading virus.

     "I don't see him," Yoongi fretted, standing on the tips of his toes to peer over the mass of fuzzy heads. I tugged him back down to his feet, nudging him out of the way of an agitated-looking businessman and continuing towards the very front of the gate. I could sense the others behind me, offering them a glance over my shoulder before we came to a halt. Yoongi practically jittered beside me with excitement, waiting for the moment he could wrap his arms around his hyung for the first time in years. 

      A tall, slender man rounded the bend from the gate's corridor, a tan hoodie pulled over his head and a black mask with a bear muzzle covering his face. His eyes darted about the almost empty hall, scanning over the line of dark blue chairs pushed in the corner and then towards us. His nervous, brown eyes immediately lit up, cheeks bunching beneath his mask in a smile as he dropped his duffle bag at his feet, opening his arms wide as a stray tear rolled down his cheek. Yoongi dropped my hand and rushed forward, burying his face in the brunet's chest and holding on to him tightly. The others pushed past me to do the same, the five of them nearly toppling over in an entanglement of limbs and breathless giggles as they welcomed Seokjin home.

     I stood far off in the back, watching the others as they shut their eyes with joy, teeth flashing in joyous grins as they took turns hugging the oldest around his waist. Seokjin giggled beneath his mask, running his hands through their silky hair and down their backs as if he couldn't touch enough of them at once, wanting to feel every inch of their body under his bony hands.

     Finally, the last of the four pulled away, leaving Seokjin to stare down at each of them as if he were overseeing his children. "You guys grew up without me," he chuckled, his tone airy and soft to the ear. I could hear his voice wavering but he held strong, eyes slit against his face in a grin that I knew was much wider than it seemed.