INTO THE WOODS - PJM

CHAPTER FOUR.

Camping had never ignited a single spark of interest in you, ever.

And as you startle awake at the sensation of something trying to crawl its way under your skin and possibly feed off your internal organs, you are suddenly reminded why. Smacking angrily at the already red and irritated spot on your forearm, you sit up and dust off your clothes with a defeated sigh. Why did it have to come to this? What have you done in your past lives to make karma rear its ugly head, turning your life into a never ending series of peril? In a hopeless attempt for closure, you humorlessly strain your ears to listen for some kind of answer, but all you can hear is the incessant buzzing of mosquitoes ready to devour you alive and Jimin's gentle snores a few feet away.

The fire had long since burned out and ever since the sun had sunk below the horizon, so did the temperature. The wind had picked up a little, whisking away the dreary heatwaves of day and pulling in the biting cold from somewhere far off. Trembling, you pull Jimin's hoodie on properly and hike up the hood, tugging the drawstrings taut so that only your face is visible. His jacket is warm and inviting; you're practically swimming in it with the way the sleeves drape far past your hands. You feel like a little kid playing dress-up in her mother's closet.

The way that Jimin had given you his jacket made you feel somewhat fuzzy inside. You took heed to the fact that he didn't have to but did anyways, and it made the butterflies in your tummy erupt in a frenzy for some reason. Despite being at the age where dating was a common phenomenon amongst other peers in your age group, you had never experienced the so-called intimacies of teenage romance. You were never particularly fond of the idea of being so close to someone physically and emotionally, but if there was one thing you were curious about from all the movies and books you have watched and read...

The smell. Grabbing a fistful of the hoodie, you bring it up to your nose and inhale deeply. And sure enough, it smells just like Jimin. Not that you knew what that smelt like before this very moment - you are just curious, is all! His scent is subtle with a twinge of sweetness, and it almost smells floral, in a 'freshly-baked-citrusy-pastry' kind of way. It was kind of liberating in a sense; you didn't expect such a pleasant smell from someone like him and you revel in the aroma of orange blossoms that encompass you so deeply you think you could get high off of it.

You absentmindedly glance over at his sleeping form, his back facing you and shoulders raising with every soft breath. You're almost jealous he's able to sleep so peacefully in these circumstances. He doesn't move a muscle despite the cool breeze that shifts the strands of his mussed hair and the fact that he's only wearing a thin white t-shirt is slightly alarming. Looking down at the large hoodie that shyly reaches the middle of your thighs, you start to feel a bit guilty - however, the cold doesn't seem to bother him anyhow. Jimin is a breed entirely of his own.

Time ticks by slowly, so slowly that you've grown increasingly bored with each passing minute. You hadn't brought many things with you and you didn't even think to bring your phone, definitely not knowing you would be stranded out in the middle of the forest for a whole night. Being cut off from civilization sucks, and your brain does little to entertain itself without the stimulation of your electronic friend. You consider waking Jimin up, but you don't want to disturb his rest after all his caring, albeit awkward, but still caring gestures. It's best he gets his rest; especially with those bags you've seen under his eyes that droop so low that they almost kiss the apples of his cheeks.

You have no idea what time it is, but you make a wild guess that it's probably around four or five AM with the way the sky is gradually melting into a blue hue that tints the tips of the trees purple. Sighing, you stretch, feeling satisfied at the way your muscles strain to release the heavy tension created from sleeping on the hard forest floor. You decide to try your hand at finding some food, like berries of some sort. That's usually what happens in those dramatic survival TV shows you watched, where they stumble upon a berry bush only to find out it's poisonous. You hope that won't be the case.