Best Of Me |Jikook

8. Don't Leave

Jungkook was a nervous wreck. 

He sat on the back porch, nervously picking at the skin of his nails and fidgeting, his feet becoming the most interesting thing to look at. He had no idea how this conversation with Jimin was going to turn out. He did not doubt that Jimin was going to ask for an explanation as to what had happened but he wasn't so sure he had one to give him. He wasn't even sure what it was. He was mostly just embarrassed that his friends had to see him in such a state. He wished the ground would swallow him up right there and then.

Jimin sat gingerly beside him as if calculating his actions, afraid that he might trigger something in Jungkook. He clasped his hands in his lap and sighed. Jungkook hated himself for being the cause of the awkward silence between them. If he was Jimin, he wouldn't know what to say either. 

Jimin eyed the scratches on Jungkook's arms. Most weren't deep and some looked like the blood had already started clotting. Under the faint light of the moon, he could barely manage to make out a few other faint scars that had already healed. Jimin figured that this wasn't the first time Jungkook had had an episode like this then. He didn't like the thought of that. 

After a few more minutes of the awful silence, Jimin finally asked the dreaded question. "Do you uhm...do you...want to tell me what happened back there?" He asked gently, hoping it would make Jungkook feel more comfortable and coax him into speaking. Unfortunately, however, Jungkook just took a shaky breath, opening his mouth as if he was about to say something, before closing it again and shaking his head. Jimin didn't want to make it too obvious that he was disappointed with the lack of an answer. He never wanted Junkook to ever feel pressured into telling him anything, especially not after an episode like that. 

An episode of what though was Jimin's question, but he didn't dare voice it. From the looks of it, it seemed as if even Jungkook didn't know how to explain what had just happened. Jimin decided to just pass it off as a really terrible nightmare. It seemed plausible enough. 

"Hey, it's okay" he reassured. "You don't have to say anything, but the guys will probably want an explanation and I'm not really sure what to tell them. I mean, it seemed like a nightmare to me" Jimin waited a while, waiting to hear if Jungkook would confirm the theory or not, but he got no answer. Jungkook's eyes stayed glued to his feet, his hands hurting each other, his teeth abusing his bottom lip, and his eyes wide and trembling as if he was trying to hold himself back from crying. 

With concern manipulating his brows and pouty lips, he reached over to touch Jungkook's arm, but he flinched away, causing Jimin to immediately retract his hand. He mentally scolded himself for it. Of course, Jungkook would be spooked by any form of physical contact after what he had just gone through. 

Jimin watched as a single tear fell down the frightened boy's cheek. His fingers itched to reach forward and brush it away, but he tried to control himself, thinking that Jungkook wouldn't be much appreciative of the gesture. The older felt a sharp pain in his chest, so excruciating that he had to grip his shirt over the area above his heart. Watching Jungkook cry and try to stifle his sobs weren't supposed to make him feel as physically weak as he did. He didn't think seeing Jungkook cry so sorrowfully would elicit such a reaction from him. He felt an overwhelming urge to take the broken boy into his arms and shield him from the rest of the world. 

"Can I hug you?" he asked softly, his voice cracking at the end. 

Without much thought, Jungkook nodded his head. Jimin immediately scooted over and wrapped his arms around Jungkook. Jungkook buried his face in his Hyung's neck, inhaling his sweet, calming scent as his tears soaked through the man's shirt. His body shook with sobs as he gripped Jimin's shirt with shaky fingers. Jimin could feel his own eyes well up with tears.