Don't Leave Me Behind || Namjin AU

Chapter One. White Lies

Warnings: Blood, trauma, depression, swearing, suicidal thoughts, attempt of suicide, drowning, mental instability, nudity, etc.

"H-hyung."

Hoseok stood up, finding his legs shaking as he faced Yoongi, who stood across him.

Both of their faces were bloodless, dark shadows from the last sleepless twenty-eight hours under their red eyes. It'd been twenty-eight hours since the nightmarish twist in their lives took place.

"Hoseok-how- is-" Yoongi stopped speaking, his voice cracked.

He wanted to ask how everything was going on, but what use was it when he could see it right in front of himself?

He looked over Hoseok's shoulder and saw Taehyung and Jungkook seating on chairs next to each other, fast asleep, Taehyung's head on Jungkook's shoulder, and the latter's head on top of his. Both of their mouths were slightly open. Through everything, they somehow managed to drift off.

His eyes fell on Namjoon, who was sitting beside the two, and his heart dropped. Namjoon simply looked terrible. His dark circles were way worse than his and Hoseok's and his face was devoid of emotion as he stared into space before him. He looked... No. He was lost. It was as if his body was there but his soul had left.

And just yesterday, he was like the happiest man on earth, grinning from ear-to-ear because he was getting married next month. That Namjoon was gone.

Tearing his eyes away from this sight, he looked into Hoseok's eyes and saw the pain in them that mirrored his own.

"H-How's Jin?" Yoongi choked out.

Hoseok looked down at his feet and his bottom lip trembled slightly. "H-he's fighting. The doctors are doing their best."

And he looked up again, and there was a spark in his teary eyes. He hadn't lost his faith in his best friend yet.

"A-and Jimin? How's Jimin?" Hoseok's voice was laced with worry.

Yoongi swallowed a lump in his throat. He ran a hand through his hair hopelessly.

"I-I-" Yoongi squeezed his eyes shut as he clamped a hand over his mouth before a whimper could come out.

He had to stay strong. He had to. He was the oldest among them in Jin's absence and thus he felt that it was his duty to stay strong for his dongsaengs.

But Hoseok noticed his small sign of weakness and took his hand in his, giving it a comforting squeeze, as if to say he was there for him if he needed a shoulder to cry on.

Hoseok seemed to understand him like nobody else.

Yoongi looked up at him again, trusting him to see the broken look in his eyes. He only trusted him to see the vulnerable side of him without being judged.

"I-I don't know what to do with him, Hoba," Yoongi whispered, as he bit his bottom lip to stop himself from crying. "I-I don't know-"

Hoseok took a step closer to the pale boy, placing his hands gently on the latter's shoulder. He looked back at him with eyes full of tears yet to shed.

"Hey, it's okay," he said soothingly, tucking a stray lock of hair behind Yoongi's ear. "Everything's gonna be all right. All we need is more time. And then we'll be able to get out of this mess... And we'll be happy again. I promise."

He managed to say this without stuttering, but he hardly believed what he said. It was a white lie, a way to stop seeing Yoongi upset, which made him feel worse than what he already felt. After what happened to Jin. Since everything that happened throughout the last twenty-eight hours. He hated every moment of it.