Their breathing had become labored and uneven, and the frigid cold of wind seeping through the cracks in the window froze their bones. The thin blanket offered little to no warmth, yet the simple of thought of having it there was better than nothing. By the first night, their stomachs ached with hunger, yet by the third, it had become just a dull throb. If there was any water to be left in their bodies, surely it would have already turned to ice- for they could barely even move their limbs against the weight of cold. They clung to each other, watching the door and waiting, for once the door opened they were free to imprisonment once more.

    “Jimin?” Rose asked quietly.

    A single breath held his pause, “Yeah?”

    “Do you think it’s snowing?”

    “No.”

    “Why not?”

    “It never snows here.”

    “It’s cold enough.”

    “A lot of places are cold enough, but not everywhere gets snow.”

    “What if it is snowing.”

    “It’s not.”

    “I know it’s not, but what if it is?”

    He sighed, “Then it’s just snowing.”

    Letting a ragged breath escape her parched lips, she shook her head, “Why doesn’t it snow here.”

    He shrugged, “It’s not clean enough.”

    A frown crossed , “That doesn’t make sense. It snows even in-”

    “‘Snowflakes are kisses from heaven,’” he turned to face her suddenly, “We’re living in hell. Heaven doesn’t exist.”

    “But-”

    “What’s it like this time of year,” he cut her off, “Back home?”

    Pursing her lips, she sunk lower against the wall into the cold stones of the floor, “Snowy.”

    He rose an eyebrow, “That’s not an answer.”

    A sigh escaped her parched lips, “Everything’s bright and cheerful. Even though the skies are cloudy and the wind is cold enough to freeze your bones, everything is bright and cheerful.”

    The corners of his mouth curled upwards slightly, “I’ve only seen snow once- what’s it like?”

    Biting her lip, Rose held out the palm of her hand, “It’s white and fluffy… but very cold. Once you touch it, it starts to melt and become water. That’s why it’s so cool to see it last. How could something so fleeting last for so long?”

    He nodded, “I suppose…”

    Yawning, she rested her head upon his shoulder, “I think it’s snowing… just wait and see…”

    “Maybe.”

***

    She was so frustrated that the opening and closing of the door barely even registered in her brain until he was standing just before her. Looking up reluctantly, she sighed, “What do you want?”

    Hesitating, he sat down beside her, “Are you… are you okay?”

    She shrugged, “What do you mean by okay…”

    Biting his lip, he shook his head, “Never mind… that was a stupid question.”

    The pair sat in silence, and even though no words were shared between them, the warmth of his mere presence brought her some comfort. She could feel it- the walls she had worked so hard to build up- they were crumbling to the ground. One brick at a time. All her memories she had learned to suppress, all her feelings she had learned to conceal- it was all too much. Sitting there with him, it was all too much to handle.

    “Jungkook?” she asked quietly.

    “Yeah?”

    “Why does he hate me?” she fiddled with her fingers, “Why do they hate me?”

    Leaning back on the palms of his hands, he stared at her curiously, “Does life hate you?”

    She shrugged, refusing to meet his gaze, “I don’t know. Sometimes it feels that way-”

    “Think of one good memory,” he cut her off, “Then tell me that life hates you.”

    A smile wormed its way across as she shook her head, “I guess not.”

    “See? Just because you’re going through a rough patch with Minna doesn’t mean that he hates you. Besides, fights bring friends closer together.”

    “Maybe,” she looked up, sighing inwardly, “But that doesn’t make it any easier.”

    “It’s not supposed to be easy.”

    It was day two since the fight, and still, she found herself alone. Maybe she isolated herself more than they did from her, yet that didn’t change the fact that she was alone- but not completely. Just when she retreated to her corner, he was there. Just when she hid under the covers, he was there. Just when she was ready to disappear, he was there. He was always there.

    “See that one?” Jungkook pointed to a clump of stars in the sky.

    “Yeah?”

    “That’s the fairy. Where she points for you will lead you to happiness.”

    Frowning, she squinted at the stars, “Where’s she pointing for you?”

    “Right… there,” he pointed at her, grinning.

    Laughing quietly, she shook her head, “No she’s not,” a sigh escaped her lips, “Back in America, the slaves in the 1800s used to follow the ‘Big Dipper.’ It was supposed to lead them to the North- to freedom.”

    “Maybe the fairy is pointing beyond the wall… but she’s pointing there for you too,” Jungkook smiled lightly, “So don’t leave without me, and I won’t leave without you.”

    “Deal.”

    In her darkest moments, in her deepest despairs, she couldn’t think straight. She couldn’t control the tears streaming down her face as much as she couldn’t control the beating of her own heart. It was so frustrating, so painful trying to reach out to him when he would just pull away again. Why didn’t he understand? Why didn’t he try to understand? Couldn’t he see her trying? Or was he as blind as the rest of them.

    “Rose?” a pair of arms enveloped her curled body as sobs combed through .

    “Why?” she leaned against his chest, “Why won’t he listen? I keep apologizing, I keep trying to understand, but he’s not listening!”

    He held her close, whispering softly, “It’s going to be okay. Trust me, it’s going to be okay.”

    “Can’t he see what I’m going through?” she spoke quietly, “Why can’t he see that?”

    “People only see what they want to see,” he sighed, “It’s not your fault.”

    “It is my fault,” she squeezed her eyes shut, “If I hadn’t said anything, if I hadn’t-”

    “Then more people would have been hurt by our words,” he shook his head, “I’m sorry you were the one to intervene, but it’s not your fault. It never was.”

    “I-I just…” she sniffed quietly, brushing the tears off her face, “Why is it so frustrating?”

    “Life isn’t supposed to be easy,” he smiled weakly.

    Silence fell between the two until she spoke once more, “Jungkook?”

    “Yeah?”

    “Thank you.”

    “For what?”

    “For being there for me.”

    A smile crossed his lips as he held her in his arms, “Always.”

***

    “Rose!” a voice shook her awake.

    Rubbing her eyes, she sat up slowly, “W-what?”

    Jimin frowned slightly, “Are you okay? You were crying.”

     parted slightly in surprise, “I-yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”

    “Are you sure?”

    She nodded, “It was just a dream, nothing important.”

    “Do you want to talk about it?” he spoke quietly.

    Leaning against the wall, she sighed, “I was with a friend… we were looking up at the stars.”

    Jimin froze slightly. As much as he wanted to deny it, he could not. He was not as blind as everyone made him out be, and though he only saw what he wanted, he could not unsee the memory pressing in his mind. “Was it… Jungkook?”

    Hesitating, she nodded, “Yeah.”

    He swallowed hard, “Do you… do you like him?”

    Frowning slightly, she stared at him curiously, “What do you mean?”

    “Do you love him? More than a friend?”

    Her ears tinted pink, “I-”

    At that very moment, the door swung open. Warmth and light flooded into their cell, and in the midst of freedom stood a boy staring down at her. “Rose?” he spoke quietly.

    “Kookie!” she scrambled to her feet only to fall back on the floor.

    That moment was a dagger to the heart. For the question he had asked- Jimin already knew the answer.