WAVES II JIKOOK

𝔱𝔴𝔬

Daddy Issues: The Neighborhood

Jihyung happily ate his dino-nuggets, feet swinging back and forth as he watched his brother give himself a tattoo, right on the wrist. Prophanities he never knew existed left Jungkook's lips each time the gun made contact with his flesh. Curiously Jih leaned over, eyes scanning the image of a skull on his brother's arm.

"Can I have one?" He asked with a small pout. Jungkook stopped only to glare at him, brown doe eyes like his own, turning dark and threatening.

 "No." 

Jih frowned and angrily dipped his nugget in the ketchup splattered on his plate. Jungkook turned his attention back to his tattoo, the image starting the turn to life, just as he'd imagine. His skin was red with irritation but it didn't bother him. He'd already done this five times over.

"You're a bitch!" Jih spat, arms crossing over his chest. Jungkook chuckled and placed the tattoo gun down on their kitchen island, wrist wrapped in clear plastic wrap. Despite the stinging pain in his arm, he leaned over and roughly rumpled Jih's soft brown hair. "Hey!"

"So, how was school?" Jungkook asked popping his own tray of nuggets into the microwave. Jihyungs eyes lit up at that, his feet tapping the legs of his chair excitedly.

"Oh! Today I met this guy, he was so cute, like a pillow...a-and he came to my school and taught us sign language!" Jungkook's eyes widened comically, entertaining to Jih's starstruck eyes. With a dreamy smile, the small boy rested his head against the palm of his hands. "He said to call him Min, he was the absolute best."

"I bet," Jungkook added with a smirk. "Why did they teach you guy's sign, I mean that's cool and all but, what about... ya'know actual school?" Jungkook question popping a nugget into his mouth. Annoyed, Jihyung let out a sigh.

"Because Min is going to be volunteering at our school, plus he has hearing aids, and they're really fucking cute!" Jih replied with urgency. "He's in high school too, isn't that the coolest!" Jungkook hummed in agreement, his eyes meeting Jih's enthusiastic ones before smiling.

"Sure Jih, sure."

The sound of the door flinging open brought both Jungkook and Jih to their feet, something so weird they'd gotten used to. Their mom would stumble in with a drunk frown, yell at Jih for no reason then blame Jungkook for where they were now. It was the most irritable way to end a day. 

"Jih, how many times do I have to tell you, get your fucking legs off the counter...are we Barbadians?" Jih mumbled a small no mom before placing his small feet back onto the floor. Jungkook already pissed harshly placed his plate into the sink, the sound of glasses clinking and water sloshing about. 

"It's not like you're ever around to teach him right from wrong!" Jungkook shouted, matching his mom's frustrated tone. With an amused grin, their mom wafted her lit cigar smoke into the air before coming closer to her son. Jungkook, not intimidated at all stood his ground, eyes darkening and arms crossed protectively over his chest. 

"I did better than your sorry excuse for a father, just look how you turned out...sad, and lonely." She pouted her lips teasingly before giggling uproariously. Jih frowned at the whole situation, eyes watering as he watched his own mom taunt and tease his own brother. 

"Yeah well, at least I'm not finding my happiness by spreading my legs." Jungkook shot back instantly whipping the smirk off his mom's face. "Those clients of yours don't give a shit about you, they're just using you for a good fu-" Jihyung watched in horror as his mom landed a harsh smack across Jungkook's face.

"Don't ever say that shit again!" She screamed, voice cracking and body shaking uncontrollably. Jungkook's eyes were glossy too. They always were in times like these yet, Jih's never seen one tear slip, not a one. Their shouts were muffled to his ears only because he was so used to it. Every day this would happen, and every day Jungkook would come into his room and give him a cool new action figure from the dollar store as an apology. 

"Hey," Jungkook murmured closing Jih's door behind him. 

"Sup," Jih mumbled back, eyes staring up at the ceiling mindlessly. 

"Don't sup me, I'm your big brother...your Hyung!" Jungkook said in his deteriorating Korean since he and Jih were born in the U.S. Only their father was a native Korean, their mother had been here long before he'd come into the picture. 

"Your pronunciation is trash," Jih stated, sitting up in his space-themed bed. Jungkook snorted and plopped down next to the boy. "Where's the toy?" Jih asked, already expecting the expected. Jungkook sighed and patted his pockets. 

"All out." 

"Then get another job!" Jih stated as if it were the most obvious thing in the entire universe. "You could work at my school like Min, and trust me, you'd like him...he's like a cute little..." 

"Pillow, yeah I know." Jungkook cut in. "Sorry to break it to you Jih, but interning at a school won't gain me any cash, just a weird understanding of fifth graders..." Jungkook paused and looked over at Jih who looked really confused. 

"Okay...then...you can sell weed!" 

"What the hell, no!" Jungkook shouted, lightly shoving Jih's shoulder. "I'm not gonna be a drug dealer either, I wanna make money the right way....and you should too," Jungkook added in with a serious tone. 

"It would be kinda cool though..." Jih said after a minute of silence. 

"Jih!" The ten-year-old held his hands up in defense eyes wide with joy as small giggles left his lips. Jungkook rolled his eyes at his brother's innocence and stood up. "I'm going to my room to do homework, knock if you need anything."

"You never do your homework." 

"Shut up, before I throw you out the window." 

.-.-.

ARGGGGGGGGGGGG.