STANDING NEXT TO YOU!

songs!
new perspective.... panic! at the disco
standing next to you............................. jung kook

🖤🩶🤍❤️

"Can you three please stop?" Jin glared at them. Jungkook had been huffing and puffing over their pictures, while Lola had been trying to talk to him. Namjoon, on the other hand, was unfazed. He kissed his teeth, an arched brow implying arrogance on his face, every time Jungkook looked his way.

He knew something was different between the two. Lola and Namjoon weren't fighting like usual, and Jungkook hated it. The pictures were just the icing on the cake. "Whatever. Get this shit over with."

In the broad space of Jin's black van, "You're acting like this isn't entirely your problem we're trying to solve here." The oldest scolded him, a finger pointing. His eyes were glaring back and forth between the tattooed boy, and the two new friends outside. Jai and Kehlani had been waiting for Penelope by the bench of the park, wearing balaclavas in the dead of the night, their arms crossed in front of their chest. Jin scratched the back of his neck and turned to Jungkook once again. "I don't wanna hear you whining while on a mission. Keep that for when you three are alone."

"I ain't boutta be alone with him." Namjoon chimed, annoyed. He'd been slouched in the leather seat, legs spread, glaring over at about anyone every now and then. "Motherfucker's accin' crazy-"

"Don't hit on my girl and I won't-"

"He wasn't hitting on me!" Lola cut him off with a smack on his shoulder, while the others watched. Yoongi had donned the steering wheel, and Jimin sat in the passenger seat. Taehyung, Hoseok, Giselle, and Destiny were seated in the middle row, while Jin had to deal with the bullshit in the back row. "We we're just talking-"

"And then y'all hugged-"

"So what?" Namjoon scoffed, at which he earned a deadly glare from Jungkook, who bit back immediately.

"The fuck you mean so what? Why you bein' all close with my fuckin' girlfriend?" Jungkook leaned in, jutting his chin at the other, before pointing at his torn shoes. "And you ruined my fuckin' dunks too, steppin' on 'em witcho big ass-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Jin yelled at them at once, cutting the youngest off with a deep bellow.

From the passenger seat, "She's here!" Jimin chimed. He pointed out the tinted window, at Penelope's silhouette approaching the mysterious Jai and Kehlani by the bench. "Oh my god-"

"Shoot, okay." Jin cleared his throat, and everyone locked in. Their eyes glued to the three figures in the distance.

Between the rustling trees, "Who are you guys?" Penelope asked the two with a frowned.

"Doesn't matter who we are." Kehlani shrugged, arms crossed in front of her chest. Her voice was muffled behind the thick fabric of the balaclava. They had realized, very quickly, that Taehyung had just cut holes in a pair of knitted beanies. She cleared her throat and took an intimidating step towards Penelope. "We know what your dad's doing."

"How?" Penelope asked, teeth gritting. The thought hadn't crossed her mind until this very second. A gasp left her mouth as her eyes widened. "Oh my god. I'm so stupid. Of course... Jungkook. He told you two, didn't he? It was a lie, wasn't it? The dates? He's onto me. Fuck. Carlos was right. I should've never believed him-"

"We don't know who that is." Jai cut her off, with a voice deeper than usual.

Kehlani clicked her tongue at him. "Why are you talking like that?"

"Why aren't you?" Jai leaned in to whisper, pulling part of his balaclava down. "We're supposed to be under cover."

"She's never met us..." Kehlani argued, rolling her eyes. The two bickered while Penelope watched impatiently, her foot tapping the muddy ground. "She wouldn't recognize your voice anyways, remember?"

"Oh..." Jai nodded. He was truly not as smart as he presented himself to be, Kehlani was sure of it.

She cleared her throat at turned back to the devilish girl in front of her. "Listen, it doesn't matter who we are, or how we learned about your dad's felony-" she made sure to emphasize. "all you need to do is do what we tell you, and we won't report him."

"How much do you want?" Penelope asked. The moonlight casted on her face, and it made her look like herself. The corners of her mouth curled down, for once, but her eyes carried the same threat they always did. That of ego. She looked down on the other two, waiting for an answer with her hand in her purse.

Kehlani hummed questioningly.

"How much?" Penelope repeated. "Fifty-thousand?"

"No-"

"Hundred-thousand." Penelope nodded. Her heart was racing. She couldn't let her father go to jail. That would mean she'd have to be alone with her mother, and that was a nightmare she wasn't willing to risk. "Two-hundred?"

"We don't want money." Jai interrupted her pleads.

Groaning, "What the fuck do you want, then?!" Penelope snapped at them. She looked around, collecting her composure, as if anyone was around, and stretched an artificial smile to win them over. "I'll do anything, just tell me what it is."

"You need to leave the country."

"What?!" Fury. Rage. It was running loose in the pandemonium of Penelope's fried brain. She took a couple steps towards them, making Jai and Kehlani step back in fear. "What the fuck do you mean leave the country?!"

The two shared a look of concern, before turning to her with teethy grins on full display. "We just mean, you need to leave the country and cut all contact with Dominick if you don't want us to report your dad."

There it was. The rage climbing up her esophagus. Penelope bursted into laughter. A high pitch, almost resembling a dog whistle, she cackled. Her mouth sat wide open, ready to swallow into her dark hole. Her teeth, that of bloodied bones, sparkled in the light of the moon above her. She laughed. "You're Jungkook's friends, aren't you? No... You're the friends of that bitch. Lola."

"Hey..." Jai sulked, clicking his tongue. "That's not nice, don't call her a bitch-"

"She's the mastermind behind this fucking plan, isn't she? It was a fucking game, wasn't it? The dates with Jungkook? They pretended to be broken up, those fucking fucks!" She bared her teeth, and clenched her jaw. Her eyes were shut tight, and her hands were balled up into reddening fists, turning white around her knuckles. She stomped her feat furiously. "How was I so fucking stupid?! Of course they were never broken up! They're disgusting little fucking lovebirds, playing their little fucking games with me?!"

Her chest heaved, and she had managed to scare Jai and Kehlani enough to make them take multiple steps back, until their backs in the tree behind them. "I think she's losing her mind." Jai whispered.

"I think she lost it a long time ago." Kehlani whispered back, her wide eyes glued on the chortling girl.

Penelope's giggles simmered, until it was her face sitting emotionless and numb. She stretched her usual smile, and cracked her head to the side. "Okay. They win. I'll leave, but-" she took a step towards them, glaring into their souls. "tell your little ginger friend, that no matter how much she tries to fight back, it's not gonna work. Dominick's gonna eat her alive, and I'll be back to watch it when that time comes."

She stormed off, leaving the two baffled.

The wolves howled. One pawn down. Chess was a game of strategy, and Lola was winning...

The others stepped out of the car after Penelope left. Treading carefully, until they neared Jai and Kehlani by the bench, a bottle of champagne in Taehyung's hands.

"She's leaving the country?" Jin almost didn't want to ask. He knew Penelope could get crazy, and refuse. His eyes were shut tightly after his question. Only his ears open and ready to be hit with either good or bad news.

Silence dawned on them like the mist in the forest. It hid its secrets, which weren't anything they hadn't seen before. Lola knew all too well about what lurks in the woods. She knew the ground must've been littered with corpses of girls just like her. Knew one day, her brother might have her lying soulless in the mud, but for now, Lola reveled in their success.

"She's leaving the fucking country!" Jai and Kehlani exclaimed after long seconds of grinning.

Whistling loudly, "Fuck yeah!" Taehyung popped the champagne. It foamed at the nozzle, the thud echoed in the void of the night, while Jimin handed everyone a plastic red cup. They waited like ants for Taehyung to fill their cups, before bringing them together, raised high. "This is for Lola and Jungkook's half-freedom!"

They cheered.

"F'we keep movin' like this, we could fix this whole shit 'fore twenty-twenty-five!" Jungkook exclaimed, his arm thrown around Lola, though when she looked up at him, images of her hugging Namjoon roamed his mind. He let go, eyes rolling. A sudden knot in his throat.

Lola frowned. She didn't want him to be distant, or cold. She knew what he was thinking. Didn't need to ask. Her brows knitted closer when Jungkook downed his cup of champagne, jaw clenching. She sighed.

"Hyung?" Jimin called for Jin as they strolled back to the car, all of them cheering in victory. Jin turned to him with a hum, and when all doors were closed, and Yoongi started the engine, "Should we celebrate this by doing secret Santa?" Jimin suggested.

The car had been filled with gasps, and agreeing babbles. "Oh my god, yes!" Giselle poured out of Giselle's mouth, which were followed by a plethora of laughs. Taehyung, especially, made sure to look her in the eyes and smile widely. He couldn't believe it. How good laughing looked on her. He wanted to see more of it, wanted to see her laugh all the time. Taehyung wanted to be the reason she laughed.

Hoseok nodded, arm sneakily tangled with Jai's, who didn't mind it at all. His grin matched Hoseok's. They were growing closer, and Hoseok had been feeling things he hadn't really felt before.

"That's a good idea!" Jin smiled. "We should pick papers when we get back to the dorms."

Snapping his fingers, and nodding, "But we should have a budget!" Taehyung added. "Ion got that much money."

"Yeah, like, twenty." Jimin nodded.

Considering the groan that escaped out of the depths of Taehyung's throat, he wasn't so fond of it. "Nah, like, five, or three-"

"Three dollars?!" Yoongi exclaimed, watching him through the rearview mirror. "Tae, if you're broke just say that."

"And what about it?!" Taehyung squared up behind up, pretending to climb over the seats while they laughed.

It was banter, and they needed it. The mission was going smoothly, their energy was high, and it was almost Christmas. The group was happy, and that was the best word to use in this situation.

Noticing the familiar roads, "Uhm-" Lola placed her hands on the seat in front of her, and hoped Yoongi heard her all the way from the back of the van. "can you drop me and Jungkook off here?"

It was something she had planned on a whim, clearly. Jungkook turned to her, "What?" he questioned, brow arched. They were at the beginning of the Brooklyn Bridge, and he knew why she wanted to be here.

Somehow, the bridge had turned into their comfort place. "You're not coming to the dorms?" Yoongi asked.

"I just- we need to talk." Lola told Jungkook.

"But we was gon' do secret Santa-"

"No, yeah." Jin cut Taehyung off and gestured Jungkook and Lola to step out of the van. "You two should talk it out. We can do secret Santa when you're back."

Jungkook didn't want to. He didn't want to hear her lame excuses for the pictures, for hugging Namjoon, and still he followed the girl of his dreams. Funny, how even when he's mad at her, Jungkook can't seem to take his eyes off of her.

The others left them on the bridge, before disappearing into late night traffic. Lola, with her arms crossed in front of her chest, cleared her throat. She strolled over to the rails, knew Jungkook would follow.

He took steady steps towards her, and leaned against the rails beside her, looking up and the sky and sighing. Air out of their mouths turned into white clouds, it was freezing. Winter had arrived.

"Jungkook-"
"Lola-"

The two cut each other off, giggling softly about it. "You go first." Lola gestured.

"Nah, you go." Jungkook shook his head.

She nodded and took a deep breath. "I know you're angry at me... For the pictures."

"I ain't angry." Jungkook said. "Just-" he groaned a clicked his tongue. "Ion know, I just don't wanna see you like that with other guys."

She nodded. She wanted this. Communication. None of the bullshit he was pulling minutes ago. Her steps were short, until they came to a half in front of him. Lola took his tattooed hands into hers, rubbing her thumb over his bruised knuckles. "Jungkook, I didn't wanna see you with Penelope either." She saw the smirk growing on his face, and smacked his chest before bringing their hands together again. "Okay, yeah! I was jealous! Happy?"

"Very." Jungkook nodded, smiling.

She scorned playfully and looked him in the eyes. "When she took you away, I wanted to- I don't know I just needed something to distract me, or I would've probably ruined the plan." She laughed, and made him laugh too. "So I just, I don't know, I just followed Namjoon, and we ended up at a park. Then we just talked about my brother... And his sister-"

Jungkook knew all about it. He knew Namjoon always danced around the topic, never really told anyone about. It should've made him angrier to know Namjoon opened up to Lola so easily, but he couldn't feel anger. It was sensitive, and he often forgot what Namjoon must be going through. Nodding, he listened to Lola's explanation, and his pupils grew in size again.

"and it just felt good to talk about it. You know? I feel like I had to get it off my chest, and I think he needed it just as much as I did. And then we just... Hugged. That's it. Nothing more, and I guess it was Carlos who snapped our pics."

"Carlos?" Jungkook questioned.

Lola nodded, brushing it off. "Penelope probably told him to. She just wants you to hate me." Her eyes faltered, insecure of it herself. She almost didn't want to say the words, and speak it into the universe. What if she accidentally manifested it? Lola couldn't live with it. The idea that this could ever end. What they had was special, and Lola wanted it to be forever.

His big brown bambi eyes were sparkling when they were on her. Jungkook felt guilty. He'd been stressed with the plan, he couldn't think of how it had made her feel. Squeezing her hands, and pulling her closer, Jungkook whispered: "Next time you needa feel better, get sum off your chest or talk it out, you come to me, yeah?"

"I'll do that when you're not on a date with Penelope." Lola bantered. Her words had a bittersweet aftertaste, a certain bite to it, but she would've been lying if she said she didn't enjoy watching Jungkook roll his eyes annoyedly.

His arms snaked around her waist, pulling her in. Jungkook pecked the top of her nose, before pushing her glasses up with the bridge of his. He loved it. How close they were. Physically, yes, he loved having his face in hers, but mentally... Jungkook never felt this way with anyone else. It was crazy. How well entangled their souls were, and the ties were only tightening. Jungkook placed a hand behind her neck, and pulled her up before closing his mouth around hers. He kissed her, angling her head to the side, digging the pads of his thumbs in her cheeks. Their saliva filled each other's mouths, and his teeth had already began cramming into her lips. He pulled her bottom lip in his mouth, and sucked hard. Their chests heaved. Jungkook's hand traveled down to her ass, squeezing it shamelessly. She moaned into his mouth, holding his face with her smaller hands. She brushed her fingers in his hair and pulled in the strands lightly.

Rain. It had started pitter-pattering. It was light at first, before it drowned them. Their hair was soaked, and so were their clothes, and still they couldn't let go. They were too connected. Too attached. The rain only made them hold onto each other tighter.

They were a mess. An utterly in-love mess. When Jungkook pulled back, he took a second to gaze into her eyes. Swollen lips, and red cheeks. He was head over heels. "This thing right here-" he whispered, shoving his tongue down her throat. In between wet and sloppy kisses, he continued. "it's deeper than the rain. It's deeper than the pain." His whispers poured into her mouth, and down her chest. Like a band-aid on the broken parts of her heart, Jungkook tended to her wounds, and Lola tended to his. She pulled him in and closed her mouth around his, allowing him to mumble in her mouth. "This is sum they can't take away." Jungkook told her. He caressed her face, taking another moment to gaze into her eyes. The only thing he hated in this moment was that he wanted to keep kissing her, but he wanted her to know. "Nobody takin' this away from us, you understand?"

Lola nodded.

Her wrists were held with his strong hands, tight, and dominant. Jungkook held her by the waist and spun her around, pushing her back against the railings and his chest upon hers. He could've cut off her airways, and Lola would've been content with it. She wrapped her arms around his neck, while Jungkook's sneaked around her waist. "You're mine, yeah?"

It was more than lust. Lola's thighs were pressed together, yes, but so were the walls of her mind when he talked to her. Lola lost all senses when she was with him. He made her feel like she was floating.

The rain was all up in their eyes, and they could barely hear each other over the falling of it, but it was needless. They could read each other's minds. "And I'm yours. All yours. Nobody, fuckin' you like I can. They don't know you like I do." He told her, chest heaving against her. Jungkook tucked strands of her soaked hair behind her ear. Their lips were quivering, cold, wet, and yet it was their favorite thing to be. Together. "They can't love you like I do. We got sum special, Lo. I feel it right here." Jungkook grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest, closer to his left side. "You feel that shit beating?"

Lola nodded, eyes locked on his. Her glasses were wet, dripping with rain, and yet she could see every inch of him. She knew the faces he was pulling.

"It only does that around you." Jungkook said. "I swear to god, baby, I ain't never felt like this 'fore."

"Jungkook." She smiled.

"You're so-" he groaned. Words weren't enough to describe her, and he was getting frustrated. He squeezed her waist through her soaked clothes. "so fuckin' human. Ion know. You make me feel real good, Lo."

"You make me feel real good too, Koo." She laughed.

❤️

The two were dripping as they entered the boys' dorm, holding hands, their grins reaching from ear to ear. They had made up, though on the way back, Lola suggested Jungkook made up with Namjoon, too. She learned quickly, that wasn't going to happen as easily. Jungkook was arrogant when it came to her. It was clear. Taehyung handed them each a towel, before forcing them to sit down for the secret Santa picks.

Hoseok was the one to write their names on post-it notes, and throwing them in a Santa hat from last year. "Alright everyone!" He announced. "Remember, don't tell anyone the name you pick! We're gonna reveal it on Christmas! Who wants to go first?" He instinctively pushed the hat in Taehyung's face, but was declined.

"Nah!" Taehyung shoved it away. He didn't want to risk it. There were too many names, and picking Giselle was a small chance. "I ain't goin' first."

Rolling his eyes, "I'll go first." Jin smiled softly. Doing anything with them turned into shenanigans incredibly quickly. He picked a name, read it, and crumbled it in his palms, his smile growing.

"Who'd you get?" Hoseok snickered.

Shaking his head with his eyes squinted, "You just said not to tell anyone." Jin scoffed playfully.

"Yeah but like, you can whisper it in my ear-"

"Hobi!" Jimin laughed. "You're such a baby, just let us pick the names and you'll see on Christmas!"

Sunshine rolled his eyes and sulked.

Jai and Kehlani were hesitant to join the secret Santa, since they weren't very well acquainted with the rest of them, but Jin insisted. They had helped a lot with the mission, it was the least they could do to make the two feel welcomed.

Yoongi and Jimin's eyes, though we're lit up once they had picked their names. Both of them crumbled the post-it in their hands, and watched the others pick.

Hoseok strolled in a circle, nearing Namjoon. The group had to practically force him to join, since Namjoon wasn't so keen on doing anything, lately. He scorned and pulled a paper, scorning at the name written. "This shit's fuckin' corny."

"Bro, you's the corny one here." Jungkook scorned, diving his hand in the hat and pulling a name. So did Lola. They wished for each other's names.

At last, Hoseok pulled the last name. "Alright. Everyone's got their names. Remember them. We have like, twenty days to get them."

"What's the budget again?" Yoongi asked.

"Nah, I changed my mind, let's not do it with a budget. What if Jin got my name? That motherfucker rich! He could get me a new whip!" Taehyung pointed, making the others laugh.

Jin had to suppress his giggled to roll his eyes playfully. "I'm not getting anyone a car."

"No yeah!" Jimin giggled. "Let's just get whatever we want. It's the thought that matters."

Yoongi nodded agreeingly. "You're so right."

"I'm always right." Jimin pecked his lips.

Retching dramatically, Taehyung pretended to gag. His hand on his chest, and his mouth agape. "Y'all some sick fucks."

Before a second wave of laughter could hit them, they heard a voice call over the intercom: "Jeon Jungkook, please come to the front desk."

It was repeated another time, before all of them made their way to the entrance hall on the first floor.

"What the fuck?" Jungkook's brown eyes widened when he was met with three cops by the front desk.

"Jeon Jungkook?" One of them stood with his thumbs tucked behind his belt, a brow arched, and a certain blaming look in his eyes. When Jungkook nodded, he brought his wrists together with handcuffs. "You're under arrest, and you have the right to remain silent."

They were taking him out.

Lola froze. Eyes wide. Heart shattered. Throat in a knot. Her steps were fast and haphazard as she followed the rest behind the officers, running out of the college building. A crowd of students circled around them, some holding their phones to record.

"Why are you arresting him?!" Jin stood in front of them, eyes piercing into the officer's neglecting ones.

"He's suspected to murder Sally Anderson." Was the last thing the officer muttered before taking him away.

Behind Jin, the group panicked. "Hyung!" Taehyung stuttered, holding onto Namjoon's arm, who was just as baffled. "Where they takin' him?!"

"The police station." Jin said. "Let's go! We need to go!" They had bunched in Jin's black van. Funny how they were on a mission only hours ago, and now they were using the very same van to follow Jungkook to the police station... Was this their end?

Lola gulped. Maybe Dominick had won the game after all.

🖤🩶🤍❤️