Handshakes of a Lifetime

Handshakes of a Lifetime - Chapter 8

Jimin  puts his hand on Jungkook's shoulder to comfort the youngest, but mostly  to comfort himself, he can't believe he just watched his leader stop  breathing. Jungkook feels a twinge hit his heart watching as you hold  onto his leader, but he's just so thankful both of you are okay. He rubs  his eyes, red and sore from crying when he thought you were both gone  forever.

Hoseok clears his throat, he looks pale from everything he just witnessed. "So I guess...it worked after all?"

You  can't help but laugh into Namjoon's chest, letting tears escape your  eyes. "Yeah, it did work." You keep your hold on him, you're not ready  to let him go just yet.

It doesn't feel real, his strong arms  around you. What is your reality anymore? Namjoon your bodyguard,  Namjoon your coworker, Namjoon your friend, Namjoon the idol you hardly  know, Namjoon the person you love more than life itself. You can't  settle into one mindset, your thoughts are a sea of lived experiences,  but you'll worry about that later, you just want to relish in the fact  that he's in your life once again.

"Joon?" You whisper.

"Yeah?"

You pull him closer to you, choking on your words, "Don't let go."

"I  won't," he whispers the promise in your ear. Namjoon looks up, eyes  meeting Jin's first. The conversation they had last night replays in his  head.

—

"Hyung, do you regret what happened?"

Namjoon  can't shake the anxiety he feels, in less than twenty-four hours he  will finally have answers to all his questions and his heart feels heavy  with worry and excitement.

Seokjin puts his chopsticks down. "I  don't...I don't regret what happened. What happened felt inevitable  somehow. Actually, I wish it happened sooner...and without the audience."

Namjoon laughs. "Do you think...that you love her?"

"I think whoever I used to be loved whoever she used to be."

"And now?"

Jin  sighs, "I wish she was here with me...ask me tomorrow," Seokjin laughs  then glances at his phone, letting the leader in on his concerns, "I'm  worried about y/n."

Jin hesitantly continues, "I have this other  set of memories with me now. It's still hard to process it sometimes."  He winces, remembering the more painful moments. "But she has that plus  more. Six whole different lives. I can't imagine how she's feeling."

"Maybe  I shouldn't then." Namjoon clenches his jaw, trying to keep his  emotions in check in front of the older idol, but Jin senses his  leader's hurt nonetheless.

"Hey, she is coming all the way here for you."  He places his hand on Namjoon's shoulder, shaking the tenseness out of  him. "Then we can all finally be on a level playing field, so I won't  feel bad when I take her all for myself," Jin laughs.

"Hyung! So that's how it's gonna be?"

"All  is fair in love and war!" Jin watches Namjoon shake his head and laugh,  the pressure lifting off his shoulders as he goes back to eating. Jin's  happy he can make his friend feel better, at least one of them should.  His insides feel as tumultuous as the storm he felt in his memory. Jin  goes back to eating his meal too, thinking back to the conversation he  had with the youngest member of the group.

—

"I think I'm  going crazy!" Jungkook barges into Seokjin's room in a huff and throws  himself on his bed. Jin moves over giving Jungkook space as he lets a  barrage of punches land on the eldest's pillow.