like a Firefly || kookmin

chapter 9 (can I stay here?)

"Hi Jungkook-shi!"
The small boy stated as he locked eyes with the taller one .
It was only then that he realized his voice was shaky and quiet because he had been running a long way, and he was scared all the same . His petite, sweaty hadns clenched into little fists as he tried to stable his breathing and calm his madly pounding heart ...
He slowly averted his gaze to where he saw a mark somewhere above the taller man's eyebrow, the same mark that Jungkook got that night ,when trying to save Jimin ...again .

The tall man just looked at him with intent stare and his usual unreadable expression.
Jimin couldn't guess how the tall male felt about his presence, and he was somehow ..you know ... uncomfortable! ... OK..., maybe Jiminie was hasty making this decision ,not having thought through it before nocking on Jungkook's door ... it was like ... something made him do that at the time .

"I'm sorry ... I just ... I think I shouldn't have ..."
Jimin stuttered, kinda had this feeling like the tall man didn't want him here ...
Well ...why would he?
But he had offered the boy a job ... so it wasn't wrong for Jimin to be here . Was it ?

"I was waiting for you ,Jihoo_shi, "
Jungkook interrupted, feeling the small boy getting nervous by his silence...

Jimin's beautiful eyes grew big.
Jungkook was waiting for him ? These whole five days ?
OK, now he didn't feel that bad anymore ... kind of was relieved that he didn't bother the tall boy by his presence.

"Were you?" Asked the small boy with curiosity in his big eyes , proceeding to look at the man ,while he had to lift his head a little cause the latter was much taller ...

Jungkook just nodded and then gestured for the small boy to come in ..

"Why don't you come in ? We can drink something and talk , yeah?"

Jimin dipped his head down and entered the house. Looking around, he saw a mess in Jungkook's room ... there were dirty bowls and wooden dishes all around ...

Jungkook scratched his neck ...
"Sorry for the mess,"

"No ...it's my fault, actually, it's a bad time, I think..."
The small boy said , and finally found some clean spot to sit ...
The tall man sat in front of him cross-legged , as well .

"It's a perfect time ," Jungkook sook Jimin's words away.
He continued... "You look messy ... is everything OK , kid ?"
The tall man asked , looking at the boy with intent eyes .

"Y... yeah... I was just ... running, " Jimin lied !
Nothing was OK...
He had been fucking running because two stupid special guards were running after him like crazy and if Jimin hadn't been lucky ,he would most likely have been dead or back to the warm embrace of his father by now , so no ... nothing was OK.

"So ,you were so eager to come here that you ran all the way ,hah? Is that why ? Jihoo_shi?"
Jungkook asked ... a tinge of humor in his voice as he angled his head and waited patiently for the small innocent boy sitting in front of him like a good boy who didn't really lock eyes with him for long to answer .

"Can I stay here ,Jungkook-ah?" Jimin asked before thinking...
It was like it wasn't him that asked for it ,but it was that part of him that was very scared of being caught by his father's men ; that part of him that was frightened and confused and didn't know what he should do with the rest of his life , that fragile part of him that needed to be protected and cared about . And the small boy couldn't ignore that part ...
But fuck ...
Did he just called the tall man in an informal way ?

"Yes , sure ...but first ... I need you to be honest with me , would you do that for me ?"
The tall man demanded .
Jimin wasn't happy to acknowledge that but "honesty" was something that Jimin was unfamiliar with these days , and he hated it ...
He despised the fact that he had to be dishonest ... especially to someone that was trying his best to help him ...yet ,he had to , didn't he ?

"I ... will be honest with you ," the small boy swallowed hard as he said it softly .

"Is someone hurting you ?"

"What ?... no it's..."

"Be honest ,kid ...I'm just trying to help but I might change my mind if I come to realize that you were dishonest with me this whole time!!"
Said Jungkook sternly and continued:
"Why do you need some place to stay ? To hide ? Is your father bothering you ?

Oh ... it wasn't like Jungkook didn't have the right to ask all of those questions, the man was kind enough to suggest the boy a job and even hadn't declined the small boy's previous demand about staying here ... so he had the right to know why the small boy wanted to stay here so badly .

"Y..yes ...there is ...someone bothering me ."
The small boy found himself acknowledging.

"Who , Jihoo_shi?" Jungkook said and moved a little closer to the small boy , some emotion in his eyes that the smaller one couldn't define.
Jimin dipped his head down ...
What a bout a little bit of truth ,huh ? It didn't seem too bad !

"My ... my father . He is ... looking for me. I ...don't wanna come back, though . And i need to hide , i can't stay with Duri_shi anymore , he'll find me ."
Said the smaller boy quietly .

"Is that why you were running ? Is he following you ?" Jungkook asked curiously, but somehow sorry all the same,

Jimin nodded ... proceeding to look at the floor instead of the handsome face of the tall man .
"What did he do to you ?" Asked Jungkook with a frown , being somehow intimidating, Jimin thought .

The small boy didn't lock eyes with the taller one , feeling guilty cause he wasn't able to expose the whole truth ,so he decided not to say anything more .

"Sorry ,I didn't mean to upset you ... you don't have to answer that . Just so you know , if your father is a fucking perv , I will gladly kick his ass ," Jungkook promised , his voice deep and serious.

Jimin's eyes went wide at his words ...
What ? He had thought that his father was abusive ?

"Oh my God , no ! He is not a ... "
Jimin tried to say, but with the door suddenly opening ,he couldn't really finish that sentence...

They both raised their head simultaneously and looked at the two men entering the house ...

They were all wet and messy , indicating that it had started raining...

Jimin immediately got up on his feet , and so did the taller one ...

"Yoongi hyung ,Hoseok hyung ! What are you doing here ?"