𝐋𝐄𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐏𝐏𝐔𝐒 [𝐓𝐊]

Chapter 9

Aeternum

Forever

Jungkook didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until his mother woke him up. Immediately, he felt guilty at the thought of leaving his angel alone before a task that could potentially be dangerous. But the absence of fear coming from his angel kept him calm through the morning.

His parents asked him how he spent the night before and he told them it had been alright. Even with the all-nighter, he felt well-rested. After breakfast, his father had to go back to work in his study and his mother kept him company while he did his exercises both for his hand and for his foot. Then, he told her to leave him beside the window facing the west side of the property, and she went on to clean around the house.

Little by little, he moved the curtain open. Every time he did so, he could feel a lurching in his stomach that told him he was doing something dangerous, so he went on to read the book on his lap to remind himself of where he was. Just like when he was in his shower, anything related to that night made him feel like he was on the edge of a precipice or already falling. Once his mother came back for him to ask what he wanted for lunch, he was exhausted and the curtain was open only by the length of one of his hands.

After eating his meat with vegetables, he was forced to take a nap by the pain on his forehead. Later in the afternoon, his mother woke him up with gentle caresses on his hair and face, and they went out for a walk. While his mother pushed his chair in silence, he closed his eyes and took deep breaths, focusing on taking in the scent of damp earth and not feeling like he was rolling closer to a cliff.

When they sat down at their usual table at the park, his mother asked him what he was trying to do all alone. Her tone wasn't accusatory, only a little sad.

- I didn't think they would be great things to do. Things that would need someone else to be there with me. - He explained.

- Everything you do to get better is a remarkable thing, Kooky. -

She took his right hand delicately and looked down at it, at the stitches that were healing and painted orange with the medicine he had to put on every morning after showering. Showering with help because he would still gasp in fright whenever he felt like he was falling. Falling... as he'd fallen to his death.

His hand wouldn't have stitches if his angel wouldn't have helped him. He wouldn't be seated there if his angel never had appeared.

He wouldn't be sitting there, wearing these clothes, his stomach full, his heart filled with love, and his head filled with knowledge if his parents had never found him as a baby.

Jungkook sniffed, his lips pressed tight and quivering.

- What is it, honey? - Her voice was still gentle, not as worried as before. Not after he asked them to keep calm whenever he fell to pieces.

It only made him tear up more.

- I'm... so grateful. - He managed to say through unuttered sobs.

She stood up and hugged his head closer to her chest. And he closed his eyes, taking in her sweet scent and being comforted by the sound of her heartbeat.

His mother. His true mother.

Faster than he would've done otherwise, he was able to breathe in deeply and calm his crying. Just like he once heard them telling him about the moment they knew he was the one. He calmed down as she held him, and held her hand closer to his cheek.